Many families want to keep relatives in need of care in their own homes for as long as possible, but…
The quitt Haushaltshilfen-Report 2026: Working and Employment Conditions in Private Households
Over 4 mOver 4 million households in Germany employ a domestic worker, more than 91% of them are not officially registered. quitt, in collaboration with the market research institute Appinio, surveyed 1,351 people and analyzed 1,935 employment contracts to shed light on this invisible labor market. The result is the quitt Haushaltshilfen-Report 2026. Here, we present three of the most compelling findings.
Here’s what it’s about:
- What do domestic helper in Germany really earn?
- Who are the people working in private households?
- Why is undeclared work so widespread—and what can be done about it?
The average wage is well above the minimum wage
The statutory minimum salary in Germany in 2026 is €13.90 per hour. The actual average salary, at €17.93 per hour, is significantly higher. Bavaria pays the most at €18.92, while Rhineland-Palatinate, Schleswig-Holstein, and Hamburg are at the lower end, with salaries about €1 below the national average.
The typical domestic worker is 46 years old, female, and German
The typical domestic helper in Germany is 46 years old, female (86% women) and from Germany (53.7%). For many, this is not a side job: 47% work more than 20 hours per week in private households—in roles ranging from housekeeping (35.1%) to childcare (33.6%) and senior care (13.1%).
Undeclared work is structural—not moral
Perhaps the most surprising finding: Undeclared work does not come from bad intention, but from a combination of excessive taxes and bureaucratic hurdles.
Particularly revealing is the mutual blame: 34.3% of employers say the domestic worker only wants to be paid in cash, while at the same time 34.6% of employees state that the employer suggested cash payment. According to the survey, the solution lies not in more controls, but in simpler, digital processes. 67.6% of employers would register their employees officially if the effort involved were less.
Read the full report here
Ähnliche Beiträge
