Domestic workers count : global data on an often invisible sector

Domestic work is one of the oldest and for many women the most important occupation. It is a global phenomenon and in many countries indispensable for all sectors of the economy to function. Domestic workers are employed for services that include cleaning, child-minding, gardening and taking care of elderly people in all kinds of private households. Nevertheless, data on domestic workers is scarce and often scattered over various publications and in national census data. In order to contribute to quantitative knowledge of the domestic work sector, this book provides statistics and context on the number of domestic workers worldwide. Sorted by regions, numbers of women and men employed in this sector and, where possible, percentages of domestic workers as part of the total work force in each country are presented. Systematic statistical data is needed in order to develop policies that ensure the protection of domestic workers worldwide and to include their rights into national labour laws.