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COLUMBIA COUNTY, N.Y. -- New York business owners near the New York/Massachusetts border say while an increase to the state's minimum wage could hurt their bottom line, they've already suffered from an overall lack of jobs in the region.

Many diners, grocery stores and other businesses in the Lebanon Valley have shut in recent years, leaving those who are still in business to hustle for remaining customers.
Some business owners we spoke to say increasing New York's minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.50 an hour would hurt their already struggling bottom line. Meanwhile, those who run more labor-intensive businesses say in order to keep employees, they're already paying well about the state's minimum wage.

"There’s not a lot of jobs in New Lebanon. So, I think you see a lot of travel, kind of an even split between going into Massachusetts and going into, say, Albany,” said Thruway Beverage Manager Brian Driscoll.

"To get guys that are qualified and are willing to commute, put in a good day's work, you got to pay them decent $12, $13 an hour just to start," said Carl Paolucci, a New Canaan business owner.

New York State Senate Majority Leader, Dean Skelos, said Tuesday that while he hasn't seen the minimum wage bill, he feels an increase could hurt job production.