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BusinessTech reports that median wages currently earned by domestic workers are far below the National Minimum Wage (NMW) even as these employees face the prospect of job losses and rising debt.
Data from Stats SA shows that domestic workers have the lowest median salaries in the country, coming in at around R2,350 a month. This is less than half the national median of R5,417 a month and below the national minimum wage, which amounts to approximately R4,400 a month. Sweepsouth’s domestic worker survey for 2023 showed that domestic workers in the country still earned, on average, much lower than the NMW, with female domestic workers at R2,989 per month. Stats SA has recorded 869,000 domestic workers in the country. Pre-Covid-19, SA employed over 1 million domestic workers. Industry reports pointed to around 250,000 domestic workers losing their jobs during the pandemic. By the end of 2023, only around 125,000 of those jobs had been recovered – a 50% recovery rate. The latest employment data has further dented this, showing a net loss of around 132,000 domestic worker jobs, with total employment is still around 20% lower than pre-pandemic levels. Included in the figures in the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS), was a loss of around 7,000 domestic worker jobs. Among the most vulnerable workers in SA, domestic workers are even more vulnerable. “Almost no domestic workers are part of a union despite having endured numerous challenges, including economic instability, recession, and the pandemic, placing them at significant risk as employers seek cost-saving measures through downsizing or job eliminations. Their lower skill requirements render them more susceptible to layoffs or workforce reductions,” Eighty20 pointed out. Amid increased household costs, increased administrative burdens, and even increased levels of emigration, domestic workers stand to lose out.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard at BusinessTech
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