Migrant Domestic Workers: Making Them Count
The 2024 Population in Brief (PIB) report, published in late September, revealed a curious phenomenon: migrant domestic workers (MDWs) are not counted as part of the foreign workforce, unlike work permit holders in other sectors.
Figure 1: Singapore’s Total Population as at June 2024: Population in Brief report, page 6 (overlay edits ours)
The PIB states this is “due to the distinct nature of their employment”, as MDWs work in households “performing domestic tasks” rather than “contribute directly to industries such as Construction, Manufacturing and Services”. MDWs are instead categorised under the “non-resident population”, under which the “foreign workforce” numbers are subsumed. The intention, as stated, is to “provide a clearer picture of foreign workforce growth related to economic sectors”. In previous PIB reports, MDWs were also excluded from statistics relating to the foreign workforce.
MDWs’ Exclusion from the “Workforce”: An Irrational Anomaly?
This exclusion of MDWs from the definition of "foreign workforce” contradicts other policy implementations, which clearly regard MDWs as employees. MDWs hold Work Permits (WP) issued by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), similar to workers in construction and marine services.
Moreover, MOM’s foreign workforce data, updated on a six-monthly basis, includes MDW numbers, which hit a five-year high of 294,800 as of June 2024. The Employment of Foreign Manpower Regulations 2012 (EFMR) further mandates employers to pay MDWs wages on a monthly basis, underscoring their status as employees. The EFMR also delineates that MDWs may only perform household and domestic duties, clearly specifying their scope of work. The EFMR also places a similar obligation on employers, who are allowed to “employ the foreign employee to perform only household and domestic duties”.
From a labour policy perspective, MDWs are undeniably workers. Their exclusion from census data on the “foreign workforce” appears incongruous given they are employed in Singapore through the same WP system as others.
What Are the Implications of This Exclusion?
The exclusion of MDWs from being counted as part of the “foreign workforce” diminishes their extensive contributions. Domestic work, historically under-valued, is rendered invisible through such classification. This perpetuates social and economic inequalities by disregarding MDWs’ essential roles in enabling household members to enter the workforce.
If MDWs are excluded from workforce statistics, it undermines recognition of their contributions to Singapore’s economy. The National Domestic Workers Alliance, an advocacy organisation, aptly states, “Domestic work is work that makes all other work possible”. By not counting MDWs as workforce contributors, national policies miss the true extent of their economic and societal impact.
MDWs also receive fewer labour and social protections than other WP holders. Unlike other employees, they are excluded from the Employment Act—which provides basic labour rights—and the Work Injury Compensation Act, which does not classify households as “workplaces”.
In 2018, an Experian study showed that MDWs contributed S$11.1 billion to Singapore’s economy. This estimate reflects the value of both paid domestic work and “freed-up time”, Including S$3.5 billion contributed by mothers reentering the workforce due to MDW support.
MDWs are a vital pillar of our eldercare infrastructure. A recent Duke-NUS study on informal caregiving revealed that MDWs provide an average of 42 hours of caregiving per week, significantly more than primary caregivers (33 hours) or secondary caregivers (8.4 hours). The study estimated the annual monetary value of caregiving provided by the latter two groups (yet again, excluding MDWs) was about S$1.28 billion. Including MDWs’ contributions in such calculations would dramatically elevate the value of caregiving in Singapore, and paint a more accurate picture of how much caregiving really costs.
Conclusion
Singapore is set to be a super-aged society in two years’ time. The role that MDWs play in Singapore’s caregiving infrastructure is set to become even more critical. Recognizing MDWs as part of the workforce is imperative for granting them equitable legal, social, and labour protections. It also recognises and rewards the essential roles of caregiving and domestic labour in contributing to society and the economy.