Fighting Our New Nanny Economy

salon.com — Job seekers, take note: Massive opportunities in a growing sector of the economy! Perks include low pay — often below the state minimum wage — no retirement or pension benefits, often no health insurance, a pretty significant likelihood of stress injuries, and lack of legal protections against harm in the workplace. As a bonus, you’ll be told you’re “part of the family” — though what that actually means really depends on your employer’s individual generosity. Just take your pick from being a nanny, housekeeper or elder caregiver, the jobs included in a groundbreaking new study on domestic labor released this week, which surveyed over 2,000 domestic workers from around the country (and in nine different languages). Such jobs grew almost 10 percent between 2004 and 2010, according to census data, which didn’t include related categories like cooks and chauffeurs. Ninety-five percent of such workers are female; they are overwhelmingly women of color and immigrants. (An actual, grim bonus: You can’t be outsourced.)

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