Retirement Preparedness Among Domestic Workers in California
ABSTRACT:
Domestic workers in the United States are overwhelmingly foreign-born women of Latinx background who face multiple layers of vulnerability.1 As with the broader Latinx immigrant population, a large cohort of domestic workers are rapidly approaching retirement age, with the median age being 45. However, because of the nature of their work – informal, low wage and physically damaging – many domestic workers in the United States are not prepared to retire. It is important for researchers and policymakers to understand why and how domestic workers are unprepared for retirement in order to create innovative solutions that protect their livelihoods.
The study aims to investigate retirement preparedness among domestic workers in California through a mixed-methods approach that employs surveys and in-depth interviews. Working with trusted community-based organizations and worker centers, this research will examine determinants of retirement preparedness, assess gaps between current retirement planning capacity and desired outcomes, and develop recommendations for policy- and individual-level interventions, comparing findings with national-level data from the Health and Retirement Study. In-depth interviews with 20 domestic workers will explore barriers to retirement planning and gauge interest in potential behavioral savings interventions. Findings will be presented to stakeholders and used to develop policy recommendations, potentially informing future advocacy efforts and interventions to improve retirement outcomes for this vulnerable workforce.