China had more than 500,000 housekeeping firms in 2015 employing over 20 million people, according to Yang Zhiming, deputy minister of Human Resources and Social Security.
By
NewsChina
Updated Dec.1
China had more than 500,000 housekeeping firms in 2015 employing over 20 million people, according to Yang Zhiming, deputy minister of Human Resources and Social Security. Most urban upper-middle class households have a woman known as an ayi (literally, “auntie”) for their housekeeping. Ayis typically hail from poorer rural areas. Although the market is booming, it’s common for housekeepers to suffer from a lack of respect and privacy, thanks to long working hours and demanding employers. And since many of them work without a formal contract, they don’t get the social insurance and protections potentially offered by China’s Labor Law, making it hard for them to win disputes with abusive employers. Experts warned that it is high time for the government to introduce new laws and standards in order to protect this vulnerable group.
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