Report shows more than 60% of home care workers don’t believe their jobs are sustainable until retirement, flags low pay, long working hours and mental health challenges as main barriers.

More than two-thirds (70%) of personal and household service workers (PHS) aged between 18 and 34, and 60% of those aged between 45 and 54 do not believe their jobs are sustainable until retirement, according to data released this week.

The report, published by four European associations working on the sector, tracked 4000 workers from twenty-six countries across Europe, of whom 96% were women and 30% were migrants, corresponding to the estimated demographic of the sector at large.

The PHS sector includes any activity that contributes to the well-being at home of families and individuals such as childcare, long-term care for the elderly and persons with disabilities but also cleaning, classes and home repairs…

The EU estimates that around 9.5 million people are working in the PHS sector in the EU, representing almost 5% of its total employment.

Due to an ageing population, this number is set to increase in the coming years…