The future of decent work for migrant workers in the care economy

Population ageing, declining fertility rates and changing family structures are rapidly transforming care needs worldwide. Demand for long-term care, childcare and support services is projected to grow significantly, while care sectors face persistent labour shortages, driven primarily by the chronic undervaluation of care work, insufficient public investment and poor working conditions.

Migrant workers have become an essential pillar of care systems globally – one in three working migrant women worldwide is a care worker. Yet, migrant care workers often lack adequate labour and social protection, face barriers to skills recognition and discrimination. Current systems for recruiting and employing migrant care workers are often fragmented and ill-equipped to respond to growing care needs. As workforce shortages intensify, global competition for care workers is increasing and reshaping labour migration dynamics.

The ILO will host a webinar on the future of decent work for migrant workers in the care economy. The session will explore key dynamics influencing the future landscape of migration into the care economy, with a focus on workers in the long-term care sector. Regional and national experiences will be shared – exploring strategic approaches, methodological solutions and emerging good practices.

Interpretation will be available in French and English.

The event is organised in collaboration with the ITC-ILO and supported by the Fair Recruitment Forward project, funded by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Please register here.

About ILO’s Care in Motion Initiative

Demand for care workers is rising rapidly, and labour migration is increasingly a key policy measure. This brings important opportunities – but also risks for workers, employers and care systems. The ILO is leading global research, technical assistance and advocacy to build care labour migration frameworks that meet labour market needs, protect workers’ rights, and strengthen national care systems. This work is anchored in the 5R Framework, the Care Resolution and Plan of Action, and the ILO agenda and action on fair migration.

The Care in Motion seminar series is a platform for technical exchange among diverse stakeholders, with a focus on persistent bottlenecks, emerging challenges and practical approaches to advancing fair and sustainable care migration.