A total of 48.8 percent of domestic workers in Italy are undocumented, according to the 2025 annual report issued by the DOMINA Observatory on Domestic Work. The report was presented to the Italian Senate on January 22.
Italy's domestic labor sector is ever more vulnerable, according to a report presented in the country's parliament on January 22.
In 2025, a total of over 1.7 million workers were registered with the national social security institute INPS. However, when adding in the 48.8 percent of undocumented workers, the total number in the sector rises to 3.3 million.
The annual report by the DOMINA Observatory on Domestic Work, which monitors the industry at both the national and local levels, focused on employment, compensation, impact on GDP, and regional differences.
The report was presented at the Senate and highlighted how the sector is a key one in the country, while at the same time being one of the most vulnerable in the Italian labor market.
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Many employers are over age 80, and many women are employed
The report noted that employers in the sector are ever older, with 37.9 percent at least 80 years old.
Overall, the industry continues to be marked by a strong female presence, with almost all women accounting for nearly 90 percent of those employed as domestic staff.
About 70 percent of those employed are of foreign origin.
The average annual salary of domestic workers is in the low-to-medium range: there are more workers with an average annual salary of under 3,000 euros (24.3 percent) than those receiving over 12,000 euros (23.1 percent). However, this depends a great deal on the number of hours worked and the type of contract.
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Measures recommended by DOMINA
DOMINA has proposed several measures to try and improve things for domestic workers in Italy, as well as bring in more revenue to the government. The report found that since such a large proportion of domestic workers were undocumented, the Italian government could be missing out on a huge slice of tax revenue.
To try and change this, Domina proposes the government offer cash incentives to those who hire their domestic workers officially and register them properly so that they receive all the benefits due to all employees but also pay tax. They estimated that the current state of affairs could be costing the Italian government between 0.9 and 1.2 billion euros, and if regularized, it could bring in up to 1.2 billion euros in revenue, they believe.
Via this registration system, employers of domestic workers would be expected to make monthly transfers towards their employees social security contributions, as well as offering them the possibility of sick leave, on the same level as other employents.
There would also be potential offers of materntity and paternity leave, as well as better protection for the children of these workers. If their parents are fully registered and paying tax, then they too would be covered under the Italian system.
DOMINA Secretary General Lorenzo Gasparrini said that these recommendations would help make domestic work "a choice that is actually affordable for everyone.".
They could also, claimed DOMINA director Massimo De Luca, lead to "an alliance between employers' associations and unions that have signed the collective contract, as well as an alliance with the institutions."