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New Counts Lay Bare Slow Formalization of Domestic Work in Peru and Mexico

Legal guarantees outpace enforcement, leaving most workers outside formal coverage.

Overview

  • Labor authorities and local outlets, in Monday’s International Day coverage, reported 23,868 registered domestic-work contracts in Peru and about 59,000 IMSS enrollments in Mexico.
  • Peru logged 964 new contracts in January and February 2026, including 299 for men, a modest shift in a workforce that official surveys say is 93.6% women.
  • Mexico’s tally shows 59,017 domestic workers with active social security, roughly 2.3% of an estimated 2.5 million, with a slight decline from the level reported when affiliation became mandatory in May 2023.
  • Regional snapshots highlight deep gaps, with Peru’s Junín lacking an official roll of workers and Mexico’s Guanajuato recording only 2,153 IMSS registrations out of about 114,000 people in the sector.
  • Governments have rolled out tools such as Peru’s digital contract registry and a Jesús María help desk and Mexico’s model contracts, yet weak oversight and placement-agency practices leave many without health care, paid leave or pensions.