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[BUSINESS] · Ghana, Dominican Republic, Kenya, United States · 9 sources

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Part of situation: ILO report on global domestic worker informality (2 clusters)

ILO report: 83% of global domestic workers lack formal protections

International Labour Organisation domestic workers informal employment wage inequality social protection

A new report from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) reveals that 83.1% of the world’s 80 million domestic workers are informally employed, meaning they lack written contracts, pensions, or social security. This figure represents an increase of 5.1 million informal workers since 2019.

Africa experienced the most significant growth in the sector, adding 4.2 million domestic workers between 2019 and 2025. However, 93.3% of workers in Africa are informally employed. Asia and the Pacific host approximately half of the global domestic workforce, totaling 40.2 million people.

Gender disparities are prominent in the sector. Women make up 77.2% of domestic workers globally. On average, female domestic workers earn 48% of the monthly wages of other employees, while male domestic workers earn 65.8%. Overall, domestic workers earn just 53.3% of the average monthly wage of other employees, a figure that drops to 48.7% for those in informal roles.

The report, titled “The State of Domestic Work in 2025: 15 Years After Convention No. 189”, highlights that 35.2% of workers log at least 49 hours per week, with 14.6% working 60 hours or more.

Entities

Africa · Asia and the Pacific · International Labour Organisation · International Labour Organization · Patrick Belser · Sahra Razavi

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Sources

ILO: 93.3% of Africa's Domestic Workers Unprotected [chale.news]
Informalidad sigue muy extendida entre los trabajadores domésticos [primermomento.com]
Four in five domestic workers lack formal job protections, UN finds [www.globaldiasporanews.com]
Wage growth of domestic workers slower than others, says new ILO report - BusinessToday [www.businesstoday.in]
80 millones de personas trabajan en el sector doméstico en todo el mundo. [questiondigital.com]
La informalidad sigue castigando al trabajo doméstico [ipsnoticias.net]
Over 83% of Domestic Workers Globally Remain in Informal Jobs, ILO Finds [kenya-today.com]
Four in five domestic workers lack formal job protections, UN finds [www.postcourier.com.pg]
Women domestic workers earn 48% of other employees’ wages – ILO [www.myjoyonline.com]