Recruiting in China

The Heilongjiang Provincial Longmei Domestic Service League was founded in Harbin, capital city of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, on October 23, 2013, to boost the province's domestic service industry.

The launch ceremony was attended by more than 50 members from domestic service agencies under the Heilongjiang Women's Federation.

Attendees discussed the league's development plans for the next three years as well as the industry's development trends, national policies and local regulations and standards.

Women's federations of all levels in Heilongjiang Province have achieved great progress in promoting the industry. There are now 57 domestic service agencies in the province and several brands have been launched.

There are about 20 million domestic workers and 600,000 domestic service agencies in China. As average income increases, the demand for domestic help continues to increase. Forty percent of urban Chinese families have a need for domestic help, indicating an additional 15 million potential job opportunities.

Approximately 90 percent of domestic workers in China are female, and ages range from 16 to 48 with the majority being 30 to 40 years old. These workers are primarily less-educated rural migrants and urban
laid-off workers.

Several government agencies share the responsibility of overseeing, regulating, and enforcing aspects of domestic work. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) is responsible for issuing policies, laws and regulations related to labor relations, employment, and vocational training. The Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) is in charge of monitoring domestic service associations at different administrative levels. The State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) issues business licenses and monitors market activity.

Domestic workers are more likely than workers in other sectors to use formal recruitment services. These services often include training, and are available from labor bureaus, and the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF). The ACWF runs 465 domestic service agencies in 16 provinces and cities, and cooperates with labor bureaus at different levels to provide vocational training and issue certificates to trained domestic workers.