80 Million Domestic Workers Support Families, but Most Lack Basic Job Protection

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has highlighted these inequalities as governments, employers and workers seek practical solutions to improve conditions for one of the world's most vulnerable workforces.

Millions of domestic workers around the world spend their days caring for children, supporting older people, preparing meals and keeping households running, making their work essential to families and economies. Despite their contribution, many continue to face low wages, excessive working hours and limited access to basic employment rights and social security benefits. The International Labour Organization (ILO) has highlighted these inequalities as governments, employers and workers seek practical solutions to improve conditions for one of the world's most vulnerable workforces.

Representatives from governments, employers' organizations, workers' groups and domestic worker associations gathered in Montevideo, Uruguay, from 3 to 5 November 2026 for an international conference focused on turning employment rights into meaningful protection. Organized jointly by the ILO and the International Social Security Association (ISSA), with support from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the event marked 15 years since the adoption of the Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189), and Recommendation No. 201. Participants examined progress in recognizing domestic workers' rights and discussed the practical changes needed to ensure fair wages, safer workplaces and reliable social protection.

The adoption of Convention No. 189 in 2011 established an important international principle that domestic workers deserve the same fundamental employment rights and protections as other employees. Many countries have introduced legal reforms and policies to improve working conditions, expand social security coverage and encourage formal employment in the domestic work sector. Recent ILO estimates reveal that millions of workers remain excluded from these improvements, exposing the continuing gap between employment protections established by law and the conditions experienced inside households.

Millions of Domestic Workers Remain Trapped in Informal Employment

According to ILO estimates released on 27 October 2026, approximately 66.5 million of the world's 80 million domestic workers remain in informal employment, representing 83.1% of the global workforce in this sector. These workers frequently lack effective employment protections, including paid sick leave, pension coverage, unemployment benefits and safeguards against unfair working conditions. Their average monthly earnings amount to just 53.3% of the wages received by other employees, demonstrating the considerable financial inequality affecting people who provide essential household and care services.

Women account for 77.2% of domestic workers worldwide and experience particularly severe income disparities, earning an average of only 48% of the monthly wages of other employees. More than one-third of domestic workers, approximately 35.2%, work at least 49 hours every week, often facing demanding schedules that leave insufficient time for rest and personal responsibilities. Other workers receive too few working hours to earn a stable income, making it difficult to support their families despite performing services that households depend on daily.

Available evidence shows that improvements are possible when governments introduce policies addressing the specific circumstances of domestic employment. Among countries with comparable data from 2019 and 2025, more than half recorded reductions in informal domestic work, suggesting that labour reforms and stronger institutions can improve employment conditions. ILO officials emphasized that future progress must focus on ensuring workers can exercise their legal rights rather than simply expanding the number of countries adopting international agreements.

Ageing Populations and Digital Platforms Bring New Challenges

Growing demand for childcare and support for older people is expected to increase the importance of domestic workers within national economies and care systems. Population ageing, international migration and displacement are changing the composition of domestic workforces, creating new opportunities for employment alongside concerns about unequal treatment and exploitation. Climate change, armed conflicts and other emergencies are adding further pressure on vulnerable workers, particularly women and migrants who may already struggle to access legal protections.

Digital employment platforms are also transforming how domestic workers find jobs, communicate with employers and manage employment arrangements. These technologies could make recruitment, employment registration and social security contributions easier, helping more workers enter formal employment and receive appropriate benefits. Poorly regulated systems could expose workers to new forms of exploitation or exclusion, making updated policies essential as technology becomes increasingly involved in household employment.

Global Conference Calls for Stronger Rights and Social Protection

Conference participants discussed practical measures to improve wages, regulate working hours, prevent workplace violence and harassment, and strengthen access to justice for domestic workers. Proposals included simplifying employment registration, expanding social security coverage, improving labour inspections and helping household employers understand their legal responsibilities. Greater recognition of professional skills, fair recruitment practices, collective bargaining and stronger representation of domestic workers were also identified as important steps towards improving employment conditions.

Montevideo carried particular significance because Uruguay became the first country to ratify Convention No. 189 and hosted the establishment of the International Domestic Workers Federation in 2013. Ana Virginia Moreira Gomes, ILO Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, emphasized the need to move beyond recognizing employment rights and ensure those protections become effective in everyday working life. Shahra Razavi, Director of the ILO's Labour and Social Protection Department, similarly stressed that the next stage must translate the convention's recognition of domestic workers into real improvements.

The conference reinforced the importance of cooperation between governments, employers, workers and social security institutions in building fairer employment systems for domestic workers. Expanding access to decent wages, reasonable working hours and social protection will be essential as demand for household care continues to grow. Protecting the people who care for children, support older relatives and maintain households is a vital part of creating a sustainable and fair global care economy.