20% OF DOMESTIC WORKERS WERE JOBLESS IN DECEMBER
Nearly 3 in 4 respondents faced food insecurity in the last quarter of 2021
Domestic Workers Economic Situation Report · December 2021
With analysis for fourth quarter of 2021
Source: La Alianza surveys, NDWA Labs
Released: January 7, 2021
Today’s Bureau of Labor Statistics Jobs Report shows the number of jobs added in December was below market expectations.1 Unemployment rates for Latina women decreased in December 2021, while the rates for Black women showed a notable increase. NDWA Labs’ December Report shows that the percentage of jobless respondents in December decreased compared to November. However, joblessness is at 20%, still more than twice the rate compared to the 9% who reported having no jobs before COVID-19.2
In this report, we compare indicators for domestic workers’ joblessness, wages, housing security and food security in the fourth quarter of 2021 (October, November, December) versus the fourth quarter of 2020. While there has been a notable increase in employment, and some improvements in hourly wages, domestic workers remain in a precarious economic situation.
22% of respondents were out of work on average in the fourth quarter of 2021, compared to 40% of respondents during the fourth quarter of 2020.
In the fourth quarter of 2021, 44% of respondents faced housing insecurity, compared to 65% of respondents in the same quarter of 2020. Nearly 3 in 4 respondents faced some level of food insecurity in the fourth quarter of 2021.
An average of 85% of domestic worker respondents earned $15 or less per hour this quarter, a decrease compared to 89% in the fourth quarter of 2020.
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.3
La Alianza survey data of Spanish-speaking domestic workers shows how the pandemic has amplified the vulnerability of this workforce. Domestic workers continue to face low wages and high levels of joblessness and underemployment. A contextual note regarding our findings: domestic workers, and particularly house cleaners, often have multiple employers. This means they may have to schedule several jobs in a given week in order to make ends meet.
December Jobs Report - Bureau of Labor Statistics
Each month, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases an Economic Situation Summary with employment and other labor market data. This is an important report to keep track of how the economy is doing. However, domestic workers, along with other vulnerable workers, are often underrepresented in official data. Here we present an overview of the BLS Jobs report, along with NDWA Labs’ data which shows the employment and economic situation of thousands of Spanish-speaking domestic workers.
On January 7, the BLS released new employment data for December 2021.
The unemployment rate for Latina women decreased in December 2021, while it increased notably for Black women.
The unemployment rates for Black and Latinx adults continue to be higher compared to the rates for White and Asian adults.
People who have been unemployed long-term (27 weeks or more) represented 31.7% of the total unemployed in December, a decrease from the previous month.
The economic crisis that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly harsh for Latina and Black women. In April 2020, the unemployment rate for Latina women reached 20%, the highest compared to other demographic groups.4 However, the recovery for Latina women has been faster compared to Black women. The unemployment rate for Latina women decreased in December 2021 with respect to November 2021.
Similarly, NDWA Labs’ December Report shows the percentage of jobless domestic worker respondents in December decreased compared to November.
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.