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Drawing on a study of employment in household services in eight EU states, the article summarises some of the factors stimulating growing demand for these services, and argues that they are an important part of the necessary infrastructure of everyday life for Europe's citizens. The nature of the work performed by those working in this sector is analysed, and the important skills required of household services workers if high quality services are to be delivered are examined. The article concludes by drawing attention to the need for the social partners to address a number of urgent policy issues, including pay and conditions, the need for more attractive career structures and problems of labour supply, taking into account the particular challenges for both collective bargaining and regulation in this sector.
