DOMESTIC WORKERS CONTINUE TO FACE HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT
Domestic Workers Economic Situation Report · January 2021
Source: La Alianza surveys, NDWA Labs
Released: February 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
During the month of January many domestic workers were still unemployed or underemployed.
37% of domestic worker respondents had ZERO work hours per week in January.
Even among respondents who had work, the vast majority are underemployed, 87% of domestic worker respondents who had at least one hour of work per week said they wanted to work more hours.
89% of domestic worker respondents earned less than $15 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 domestic worker respondents, including those who were working, told us at the end of January that they had looked for new work in the past 30 days.
Similarly, more than 8 in 10 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.
January Jobs Report - Bureau of Labor Statistics
On February 5, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released new employment data for January 2021.
The unemployment rate for Latina women decreased after a sharp increase in December, while it increased for Black women and for the Asian population.
The unemployment rate for Latina and Black women are still among the highest compared to other demographic groups.
The unemployment rate for foreign-born women is more than twice what it was in January 2020.
Housing and Food Security
Most domestic worker respondents are facing housing and food insecurity.
In mid-January, more than half (53%) of domestic worker respondents said they were unable to pay their rent or mortgage that month.
19% of respondents said they would not be able to afford food in the following two weeks, and 67% 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 three weekly surveys in January. 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 January, which includes both one-time and repeated respondents, was 5,334. 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.