Faut-il miser sur l’emploi domestique ?

In the last two decades, many Nordic and Continental European countries have implemented policies to incentivize the development of the domestic services sector. This Policy Brief presents the main conclusions of a book (*) analysing those policies in six countries. These policies are advocated for on various grounds: creating jobs for the low skilled, catering to new social needs like childcare and elderly care, supporting female employment. The comparison of the policies implemented and their effects in France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Sweden and Finland allows putting into perspective the ability of these policies to meet the stated objectives. These measures are part of an economic strategy based on stimulating the creation of low quality jobs and low productivity services. It fuels socioeconomic and geographical inequalities and fosters the privatization of welfare services. Results in terms of employment creation are limited while the cost for public finances is high. Thus, in many regards, the domestic employment strategy seems like a losing bet when it comes to meeting the challenges of the postindustrial era.