Domestic Workers across the World: Global and Regional Statistics and the Extent of Legal Protection

This volume sheds light on the magnitude of domestic work, a sector often invisible behind the doors of private households and unprotected by national legislation. It presents national statistics and new global and regional estimates on the number of domestic workers.

The book shows that domestic workers represent a significant share of the labor force worldwide and that domestic work is an important source of employment for women, especially in Latin America and Asia. The book also examines the extent to which domestic workers are covered by key working conditions laws. In particular, it analyzes how many domestic workers are covered by working time provisions, minimum wage legislation, and maternity protection. The results demonstrate that under current national laws, substantial gaps in protection still remain.