ILO report highlights high domestic work rates in Latin America

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has released a report titled ‘The situation of domestic work in 2025: 15 years after Convention No. 189’, revealing that domestic work in Latin America and the Caribbean remains precarious, informal, and heavily feminized.

Trinidad and Tobago, Paraguay, and Colombia report the highest rates of domestic work relative to total employment in the region, at 8.4%, 7.6%, and 6.9% respectively. Other notable rates include Argentina (6.4%), the Dominican Republic (6.3%), and Jamaica (5.8%).

The report emphasizes that 88.6% of domestic workers are women performing essential services such as cleaning, cooking, and caregiving. Furthermore, the sector faces a high informality rate of 75.1%, leaving many workers without legal contracts or social protections.