The growth of precarious employment for women in the care work sector during the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

[Abstract] This chapter explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labour conditions of workers providing care to elderly and dependent persons in Spain. The effects of the health crisis on the precarious situation in this sector have been analysed using data taken from the Spanish Labour Force Survey and qualitative fieldwork focusing on domestic workers and nurse assistants employed in nursing homes. The results show the deterioration of the working conditions of both groups during the health crisis, the social vulnerability of these workers and the lack of effective policy responses able to reverse this inequality.