Access for domestic workers to labour and social protection: Albania

2023 LFS data suggest that there are around 30,000 domestic workers in Albania. There is no available estimate of the extent of informality in the sector, but this is assumed to be extremely high. The labour code does not provide any reference to domestic workers and nor does the specific legislation on social and health insurance. If domestic workers have a regular working contract, then their social and healthcare contributions are paid and they are covered from these particular schemes, yet remain excluded from other social insurance benefits. However, the contributions level continues to be tied to the 2015 official minimum wage meaning that, when they reach pensionable age, the monthly pension may be even lower than the minimum pension, putting in serious doubt the adequacy of their benefits. To improve social protection and labour rights for domestic workers, it is essential to extend social insurance coverage to all branches, while contributions should be indexed to the official minimum wage. Furthermore, assessing the sector's size and skill needs would help in the development of targeted social protection and upskilling programmes.