ILO: Over 80% of Domestic Workers Lack Contracts, Social Cover
Berlin – October 28, 2026 -- More than 80 percent of domestic workers worldwide labor without a contract or social protection, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). A commentary in the German daily nd.DerTag calls this a structural feature of an economy that devalues female employment, and demands binding rules from governments.
Informal domestic work leaves millions without health or pension cover
The commentary argues that Germany is no exception. It says households delegate cleaning and care work to migrant women while debating work-life balance. The millions of mostly informal workers cannot upskill or pay into health or pension insurance, which the commentary says leads directly to old-age poverty.
It also says constitutional privacy protection has for years served as grounds to refuse workplace inspections behind apartment doors.