DOMESTIC WORKERS CONTINUE TO FACE HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT, WITH SOME IMPROVEMENT COMPARED TO JANUARY
9 in 10 surveyed domestic workers earn $15 or Less/hour
Domestic Workers Economic Situation Report · February 2021
Source: La Alianza surveys, NDWA Labs
Released: March 5, 2021
Domestic workers are the nannies, homecare workers and house cleaners whose work is essential to our economy, and yet they are one of the most vulnerable and marginalized groups of workers. Even before COVID-19, domestic workers earned less than the average US worker, and were three times as likely to be living in poverty. La Alianza survey data of Spanish-speaking domestic workers shows how the pandemic has amplified the vulnerability of this workforce, who continue to face low wages, and high levels of unemployment and underemployment.
Jobs and Wages
February unemployment and underemployment for domestic workers continue to be very high. However, there was a decrease compared to January.
34% domestic worker respondents had ZERO work hours per week in February, compared to 37% in January.
The vast majority of respondents are underemployed. 85% of domestic worker respondents who had at least one hour of work per week said they wanted to work more hours.
88%* of domestic worker respondents earned $15 or less per hour this month.
Job search
Most domestic worker respondents, including those who were working, asked their employers to go back to work, or looked for new work during the month of January.
More than 8 in 10 (84%) domestic worker respondents, including those who were working, told us they had looked for new work in the past 30 days.
Similarly, more than 8 in 10 (83%) respondents, including those who were working, told us they had asked at least one of their regular employers to go back to work in the past 30 days.
February Jobs Report - Bureau of Labor Statistics
On March 5, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released new employment data for February 2021.
The unemployment rate for Latina women and for the Asian population decreased, while it increased for Black women.
The unemployment rate for Latina and Black women are still among the highest compared to other demographic groups.
People who have been unemployed long-term (27 weeks or more) represented 41.5% of the total unemployed in February.
Like the February BLS jobs report, NDWA Labs’ February report also shows a slight improvement in employment for Latina domestic workers in February, but the levels of joblessness and underemployment continue to be significantly higher than before the pandemic.
Housing and Food Security
Most domestic worker respondents face housing and food insecurity.
In early-February, more than half (57%) of domestic worker respondents said they were unable to pay their rent or mortgage that month.
16% of respondents said they would not be able to afford food in the following two weeks, and 66% were unsure if they would be able to.
About the surveys
La Alianza surveys Spanish-speaking domestic workers each week, via a Messenger chatbot. The numbers presented in this report pool data from four weekly surveys in February. Questions about hours worked and hourly wages are asked weekly, questions regarding underemployment and job search are asked bi-weekly, and questions about housing and food security are asked once a month.
The total number of fully completed surveys for February weekly surveys, which includes both one-time and repeated respondents, was 5,722. At the end of each survey, La Alianza provides respondents each week with relevant news articles and resources in Spanish. To learn more about the La Alianza survey of Spanish-speaking domestic workers see our recent report.
La Alianza is a project of NDWA Labs, the innovation arm of the National Domestic Workers Alliance. NDWA Labs experiments with the ways technology can organize domestic workers and transform domestic work jobs into good jobs by bringing respect, living wages, and benefits to an undervalued and vulnerable part of the economy.
For questions, please contact us here.
*Last updated on April 9, 2021