Poverty rates, domestic workers versus other workers, 2018, by demographic group

Domestic worker occupations
Child care workers Home care aides
All other (nondomestic) workers Domestic workers Percentage-point difference House cleaners Nannies Provider in own home Non-agency-based Agency-based
All 5.0% 16.8% 11.8 25.4% 20.1% 13.3% 14.2% 15.1%
Gender
Female 5.7% 17.3% 11.6 24.6% 20.0% 13.5% 15.0% 16.0%
Male 4.4% 10.3% 5.9 NA NA NA NA 7.5%
Nativity
U.S.-born 4.5% 16.1% 11.6 28.6% 15.6% 11.8% 12.7% 16.1%
Foreign-born U.S. citizen 4.3% 12.2% 7.9 NA NA NA NA 14.5%
Foreign-born noncitizen 10.7% 22.7% 12.0 29.2% NA NA NA 10.8%
Race/ethnicity
White, non-Hispanic 3.5% 12.3% 8.9 24.4% 23.8% 7.9% NA 9.5%
Black, non-Hispanic 8.2% 18.5% 10.3 NA NA NA NA 17.6%
Hispanic, any race 8.7% 23.9% 15.2 27.2% NA NA NA 23.6%
Asian American/Pacific Islander 4.2% 9.4% 5.2 NA NA NA NA 9.0%
Other 7.5% NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Education
Not high school graduate 14.4% 23.6% 9.2 27.6% NA NA NA 21.0%
High school graduate 7.0% 17.0% 10.0 25.0% NA 15.3% NA 15.4%
Some college 5.0% 16.3% 11.4 NA NA 8.9% NA 16.5%
Bachelor’s degree or more 2.0% 9.1% 7.1 NA NA NA NA 4.0%
Age
Under 23 10.5% 19.4% 8.9 NA NA NA NA NA
23–49 5.6% 22.1% 16.5 35.1% NA 17.7% NA 19.8%
50+ 2.6% 9.5% 6.9 14.0% NA 7.9% NA 9.5%

Notes: To ensure sufficient sample sizes, this table draws from pooled 2016–2018 microdata. “Foreign-born” refers to anyone who is not a U.S. citizen at birth.

To ensure sufficient sample sizes, this table draws from pooled 2016–2018 microdata. “Foreign-born” refers to anyone who is not a U.S. citizen at birth. “Foreign-born noncitizen” includes foreign-born persons who are either lawful permanent residents, in a nonimmigrant status (migrants with temporary visas), or lacking an immigration status, including both unauthorized immigrants and those with lawful presence (such as DACA recipients and asylum applicants whose cases are in process).

Source: Economic Policy Institute (EPI) analysis of Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement microdata

View the underlying data on epi.org.