Even when controlling for demographics and education, domestic workers are more likely to live below the poverty line than similar workers: Percentage-point difference between the poverty rate of domestic workers and that of demographically similar workers in other occupations, 2018
| Poverty rate ppt. difference | |
|---|---|
| Domestic workers | 8.5 |
| House cleaners | 14.0 |
| Nannies | 10.8 |
| Child care (in own home) | 6.4 |
| Home care (non-agency) | 7.1 |
| Home care (agency-based) | 7.0 |
| Domestic workers | 17.8 |
| House cleaners | 19.5 |
| Nannies | 11.1 |
| Child care (in own home) | 9.8 |
| Home care (non-agency) | 13.6 |
| Home care (agency-based) | 19.9 |
Notes: All poverty rate differences are significantly different from zero at the 0.01 level. The regressions control for gender, nativity, race/ethnicity, educational attainment, age, marital status, and census geographical division. The “twice-poverty rate” is the share of workers whose family income is below twice the official poverty line, and is often considered a better cutoff for whether a family is able to make ends meet. To ensure sufficient sample sizes, this figure draws from pooled 2016–2018 microdata.
Source: Economic Policy Institute (EPI) analysis of Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement microdata