Milan, 23 June 2024 – Domestic workers in drastic decline, at least among those registered with INPS. According to the Social Security Institute’s observatory, in 2023 there were 162,227 carers and domestic workers in Lombardy, approximately 8% less than in 2022, compared to a decline which, at a national level, was -7.6%. Among the Lombardy provinces, the most significant drop in absolute value concerned Milan (-6,200 workers), followed by the province of Bergamo (-1,911 in one year) and Brescia (-1,613). In percentage terms, the greatest reduction concerned Mantua and Lodi (about -15%), followed by the province of Bergamo (-14%) and Cremona (-12.3%).
Who are housemaids and carers?
Most of workers registered with INPS she is foreignabout 83% of the total, but their presence has also seen declines in all provinces, with the exception of Milan where they grew by 6%. In Cremona, however, the reduction compared to 2022 was 15%, in Mantua 17%, in Bergamo 16%.
Looking at the composition of the age groups, the increase in domestic workers over 65 is striking: in 2023 there were 14,816 compared to 13,503 in 2022 and, if we extend the comparison to pre-Covid years, they more than quadrupled compared to 3,689 in 2014.
In general, comparing the numbers of the age groups year on year, housekeepers and carers under 55 are decreasing, while those above this age are all increasing.
Salaries
As regards wages, out of the 162 thousand workers in Lombardy, only 38,298 receive more than 13 thousand euros a yearwhich is however an increase compared to previous years. Around 8,500 have an annual salary of less than 1,000 euros, while 50 thousand only those who receive from 5 to 10 thousand euros per year. The analysis of salary data in 2023 highlights that, contrary to what happens for other job categories, Domestic workers on average earn higher wages than men.
Gender issue
Of the 62 thousand who earn 10 thousand euros or more per year, 56,400 are women. It is true, after all, that the type of employment remains predominantly female, like most care jobs. In Lombardy, female carers and housekeepers in 2023 were 140 thousand out of a total of 162 thousand, mostly over 45 years of age.
DecreasesInstead, the number of men employed in domestic work: in 2023 there were 21,266, compared to 30,193 in 2022. As regards the hours worked, the number of domestic workers who work at least 50 hours per week increased: there were 33,619 in 2023, they were 31,918 in 2022, 12,035 in 2014. On the type of work the share of domestic workers (92 thousand) remains higher than that of carers (69 thousand)but the trend is very different: the first sees a sharp decline (there were 105 thousand in 2022, even 115 thousand in 2021), while in the carer category the numbers are stable.
