Spotlighting Domestic Workers Representation in Film & TV

The National Domestic Workers Alliance partnered with the Norman Lear Center Media Impact Project at USC to commission a research report analyzing the history of domestic worker representation across scripted film and TV from 1910 to 2020. Through two phases of research, a frequency analysis and a content analysis of 100 domestic worker characters, the findings explore how often domestic workers have been referred to and with what terms, and examine character demographics such as race, gender, immigration status, and speaking role. The purpose of this research report is to set a baseline for domestic worker representation and use it as a catalyst to change the narrative and start more conversations in the industry about accurate and authentic portrayals of domestic workers.

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Domestic Workers Economic Situation Report · May 2022

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May Jobs Report shows the number of jobs added in May was above market expectations. Unemployment rates for Latina and Black women increased in May 2022. Similarly, NDWA Labs’ May Report shows that the percentage of jobless domestic worker respondents increased to 21%. Joblessness for domestic worker respondents was 19% in April and 20% in March. May joblessness represents more than double the 9% who reported having no jobs before COVID-19.

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Domestic Workers Economic Situation Report · April 2022

Today’s Bureau of Labor Statistics Jobs Report shows the number of jobs added in April was above market expectations.1 Unemployment rates for Latina and Black women decreased in April 2022. NDWA Labs’ April Report shows that the percentage of jobless domestic worker respondents decreased slightly to 19%, compared to 20% in March. This is the lowest rate of joblessness we have seen since we started surveying in March 2020. However, this still represents more than double the 9% who reported having no jobs before COVID-19.

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Domestic Workers Economic Situation Report · March 2022

Today’s Bureau of Labor Statistics Jobs Report shows the number of jobs added in March was slightly below market expectations.1 Unemployment rates for Latina and Black women decreased in March 2022. Similarly, NDWA Labs’ March Report shows that the percentage of jobless domestic worker respondents in March decreased compared to February. However, joblessness is at 20%, still more than twice the rate compared to the 9% who reported having no jobs before COVID-19.2

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Domestic Workers Economic Situation Report · February 2022

Today’s Bureau of Labor Statistics Jobs Report shows the number of jobs added in February was above market expectations.1 Unemployment rates for Latina women decreased slightly in February 2022, while the rates for Black women increased. NDWA Labs’ February Report shows that the percentage of jobless domestic worker respondents decreased to 22%, compared to 26% in January. While joblessness this month is back to the level we saw in the last quarter of 2021, this still represents more than double the 9% who reported having no jobs before COVID-19.2

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Domestic Workers Economic Situation Report · January 2022

Today’s Bureau of Labor Statistics Jobs Report shows the number of jobs added in January was above market expectations.1 Unemployment rates for Latina women were unchanged in January 2022, and the rates for Black women decreased. This was a surprising jobs report given the surge of COVID cases due to the Omicron variant. However, the Omicron wave was likely reflected in other indicators.

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Domestic Workers Economic Situation Report · December 2021

Today’s Bureau of Labor Statistics Jobs Report shows the number of jobs added in December was below market expectations.1 Unemployment rates for Latina women decreased in December 2021, while the rates for Black women showed a notable increase. NDWA Labs’ December Report shows that the percentage of jobless respondents in December decreased compared to November. However, joblessness is at 20%, still more than twice the rate compared to the 9% who reported having no jobs before COVID-19.2

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Domestic Workers Economic Situation Report · September 2021

Today’s Bureau of Labor Statistics Jobs Report shows the number of jobs added in September was below market expectations.1 Unemployment rates for Black and Latinx women decreased in September 2021. This was due both to an increase in employment and a decrease in labor force participation. NDWA Labs’ September Report shows that the percentage of jobless respondents in September was unchanged compared to August, and joblessness remains very high for Spanish-speaking domestic workers. In September 2021, 28% of domestic worker respondents were still out of work, much higher than the 9% who reported having no jobs before COVID-19.2

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