Markets and migrants in the care economy

Only two decades ago nannies, domestic servants and elder care companions were considered the remnants of high bourgeois life in many countries of Europe. But by the 1990s the demand for domestic cleaners had begun to increase, and by the turn of the century this had extended to home−based carers for young children and older people. The new employers include not only the wealthy but also many professional and dual−earning households; and it is migrant women from the poorer regions, often educated and skilled, who are meeting this demand.