Over 80% of domestic workers worldwide lack formal employment protections: ILO

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - More than four in five domestic workers worldwide remain in informal employment, often without effective labor and social protection, despite progress in many countries, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said Tuesday.

In a new report marking 15 years since the adoption of its Domestic Workers Convention, the ILO estimated that 66.5 million domestic workers, or 83.1% of the global total, were informally employed in 2025, an increase of 5.1 million since 2019.

The global domestic workforce reached 80 million people, up from 75.6 million in 2019, with women accounting for 77.2% of workers.

Domestic workers earned an average of just 53.3% of the monthly wages of other employees, down from 56.4% in 2019. Informal domestic workers earned even less, at 48.7%.

The report also found that 35.2% of domestic workers worked at least 49 hours per week, including 14.6% who worked 60 hours or more.

Informality remained particularly widespread in Africa, affecting 93.3% of domestic workers, and was "nearly universal" in the Arab states. Even in Europe and Central Asia, which recorded the lowest regional rate, more than one-third worked informally.

"Progress in many countries shows that change is possible. But with more than 66 million domestic workers still in informal employment and their wages falling further behind those of other employees, much more needs to be done," said Patrick Belser, chief of the ILO's informal work branch.

The ILO urged governments to strengthen minimum wages, social security coverage, working-time protections, and enforcement of labor rights under Convention No. 189.

Beyza Binnur Dönmez