JOBLESSNESS AMONG DOMESTIC WORKER RESPONDENTS REMAINED AT 18% IN December
Over half of respondents reported facing difficulty affording expenses in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Domestic Workers Economic Situation Report · December 2024
With analysis from the fourth quarter of 2024
Source: La Alianza surveys, NDWA
Released: March 6, 2024
The most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Employment Situation Report showed that, after revisions, there was an increase in nonfarm payroll jobs in December 2024. The general unemployment rate ticked down, while the rate for women also decreased.
NDWA’s December data shows that the joblessness rate for domestic worker respondents remained at 18%. It remains higher compared to the rate of 9% who reported having no jobs before COVID-19 [1].
Domestic workers are the nannies, homecare workers, and house cleaners whose work is essential to our economy, yet they are some of the most vulnerable and marginalized workers. They work in private homes and often have multiple employers, meaning they may have to schedule several jobs to make ends meet. Domestic workers earn less than the average US worker and are three times as likely to be living in poverty. [2]
La Alianza survey data from Spanish-speaking domestic workers shows how respondents continue to face low wages and high levels of unemployment and underemployment.
December Jobs Report - Bureau of Labor Statistics
The BLS releases a monthly Employment Situation Summary with employment and other labor market data. It’s an important report to keep track of how the economy is doing. However, domestic workers and other vulnerable workers are underrepresented in official data. [3] Here, we present an overview of the BLS Jobs report along with NDWA’s data, which shows the employment and economic situation of thousands of Spanish-speaking domestic workers.
On February 7, the BLS released new employment data for December 2024.
The number of jobs added was above market expectations.
The general unemployment rate ticked below the rate in November.
The unemployment rate for Latina and women ticked up in December.
The unemployment rate for Black women decreased in December.
The unemployment rates for Black and Latinx adults continue to be higher compared to the rates for white adults.
Average hourly earnings for employees in private nonfarm payrolls increased.
NDWA’s December data shows joblessness for surveyed Spanish-speaking domestic workers ticked down. While the share of joblessness for surveyed workers is not directly comparable to the unemployment rate nationwide,* looking at trends in the data for surveyed Spanish-speaking domestic workers in the context of national trends can support our understanding of the sector as it relates to the broader economy.
December Domestic Worker Economic Situation
Below are the main findings on the economic situation of surveyed Spanish-speaking domestic workers in December. Note that monthly numbers may be volatile, which is why we look at the findings as they relate to prior trends in the data and the economic situation of the overall economy. At the end of each quarter, we calculate quarterly averages for key economic indicators.
Jobs and Wages
Joblessness remained steady in the fourth quarter, at 18% on average.
19%, 15%, and 17% of domestic worker respondents were jobless on average in the first three quarters of 2024, respectively.
Joblessness in December, the final month of the fourth quarter, decreased by three percentage points since November, to 18%.
Underemployment remained at 67% in the fourth quarter, with 7 in 10 respondents saying they wanted more work hours than they had.
The main reason for underemployment that workers reported in the fourth quarter was that they could not find more clients (61%), followed by having a health problem (15%) and taking care of a family member (14%), while 10% chose some “other” reason.
Underemployment in December was at 70% on average.
The wage distribution slightly worsened during the fourth quarter of 2024, but is still stronger than the beginning of 2024, with 52% of domestic worker respondents reported earning less than $15 per hour on average, compared to 54%, 51%, and 50% during the first, second, and third quarters, respectively.
The gap with the wage distribution before COVID is closing. The share of respondents who earned less than $15 per hour before COVID-19 was at most 55%.**
In the fourth quarter of 2024, 12% of workers earned $9 or less per hour, 40% earned $10-14, and 48% earned $15 or more per hour on average.
In December, 51% of respondents reported earning less than $15 per hour on average, a tick below the value in November.
Economic Security
Economic Security
In the fourth quarter of 2024, 84% of domestic worker respondents said their households faced food scarcity, a 1 percentage point decrease from the prior quarter.
In the fourth quarter, respondents said they either often (16%) or sometimes (68%) faced food scarcity the week before being surveyed.
Food scarcity in December decreased by 2 percentage points since November, to 82%.
Surveyed domestic workers’ housing insecurity decreased by 2 percentage points in the fourth quarter of 2024 to 54%.
On average, 48%, 51%, and 56% of domestic worker respondents reported being unable to pay their monthly rent or mortgage at the beginning of the month during the first, second, and third quarters, respectively.
8% percent of respondents reported that the question regarding the ability to afford rent or mortgage did not apply to them in the fourth quarter. This does not necessarily mean they are housing secure. While some of these respondents may be debt-free homeowners, others may be temporarily staying with friends or family, staying in shelters, or facing homelessness.
The share of respondents who could not afford their rent or mortgage increased by 2 percentage points in December (54%).
The share of domestic worker respondents who struggled to afford regular household expenses decreased in the fourth quarter of 2024.
On average during the fourth quarter, 53% of respondents reported it was very or somewhat difficult to afford regular household expenses- such as food, housing, car payments, and medical expenses. This question is asked once a month.
For comparison, 55% of respondents reported difficulty during the first, second, and third quarters respectively.
Looking at monthly changes, the share increased in December by 4 percentage points, to 55%.
About the surveys
NDWA surveys Spanish-speaking domestic workers via La Alianza, a Messenger chatbot. Starting in 2024, the survey has been sent every other week excluding office closures. At the end of each survey, La Alianza provides respondents with relevant news articles and resources in Spanish. To learn more about NDWA’s La Alianza survey of Spanish-speaking domestic workers, see the methodology section of this report.
The numbers presented in this report include data from 8 biweekly surveys in the fourth quarter of 2024. The total number of fully completed surveys, which includes both new and repeated respondents, was 6,981. In 2024 as a whole, there were 28,958 completed surveys in total. For greater detail on completions broken down by month for the entire year, please see the table below.
| Month | Number of surveys sent | Number of surveys completed |
|---|---|---|
| December | 2 | 1,315 |
| November | 2 | 2,047 |
| October | 2 | 1,795 |
| September | 2 | 1,824 |
| August | 2 | 1,603 |
| July | 1 | 1,157 |
| June | 2 | 1,769 |
| May | 3 | 3,434 |
| April | 2 | 2,744 |
| March | 2 | 2,895 |
| February | 2 | 4,458 |
| January | 2 | 3,917 |
Questions about hours worked and hourly wages are asked biweekly, and questions regarding underemployment, job search, and economic security are asked monthly.
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Notes
1 NDWA Labs (2020), 6 Months in Crisis: The Impact of COVID-19 on Domestic Workers
2 Economic Policy Institute (2022), Domestic Workers Chartbook
3 Kopparam (2022), What federal statistical agencies can do to improve survey response rates among Hispanic communities in the United States
* Unlike unemployment rates, joblessness for domestic workers may include people who are not working but are currently unavailable to work, or not actively looking for jobs. Additionally, the NDWA’s joblessness rate for surveyed domestic workers is not seasonally adjusted, while BLS unemployment rates are adjusted.
** The share of respondents earning less than $15 cannot be directly compared to baseline numbers before COVID-19, due to a change in answer option ranges. However, since 55% of respondents reported earning $15 or less before COVID-19,2 a share which is inclusive of those who earned $15 per hour, we know that the share of respondents earning less than $15 is at most 55%.