Albeit Satisfied: Unveiling Female Paid Domestic Workers in India

Abstract

Recent research on labour economics put increasing attention to the industry of paid domestic services, recognising it as highly essential, mostly feminised and largely undervalued. This article draws on the two recent contrasting evidences in a few developed economies: a large proportion of female paid domestic workers report job satisfaction despite the precarious working conditions they witness. We aspire to investigate the presence of such contrasting attribute of paid domestic industry in India, emerging as ‘care economy’ through rapid transformation of social reproduction. Using data from a primary survey based on Kolkata (2016), the study first explores deplorable working conditions associated with the occupation. Consistent with the emerging global literature, we find that a large proportion of female paid domestics in the city perceive the job as satisfying. Using logistic regression, we further identify the correlates of perceived job satisfaction. Revisiting existing theoretical frameworks, we conclude that both intrinsic reward shaped by gendered social norms and extrinsic factors including satisfaction of economic need and decent working conditions motivate poor and less educated women to pursue paid domestic work with high perceived satisfaction. To check robustness of our findings, we also perform the similar exercise using nationally representative data from NSS (2011–2012) and get consistent estimates.