Live-In Workers and Migration

How young women from Jharkhand, Odisha and the Northeast migrate to cities as live-in domestic workers, the role of placement agents, and risks of exploitation.

Many live-in domestic workers are young migrant women.

Where they come from

Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Assam.
Often from tribal communities.

How they’re recruited

Placement agencies in cities like Delhi recruit workers through village agents.
Agencies charge employers fees and sometimes take a share of workers’ wages.

Risks

Low pay or withheld wages.
Long hours with little rest.
Isolation in employers’ homes.
Abuse and, in some cases, trafficking.

Regulation

Delhi issued orders requiring placement agencies to register.
Jharkhand has regulations for agencies recruiting its residents.
Enforcement is weak.

Remittances

Despite risks, many workers send money home, supporting families and education.

Economic view

Large information gaps between workers and employers or agencies let intermediaries exploit workers.

The agency fee

A 17-year-old from Jharkhand is placed with a Delhi family by an agency. The family pays the agency, but the girl receives only part of her promised wages.

Thinking placement agencies always protect workers

Some agencies exploit information gaps and withhold wages.

Key takeaways

Many live-in workers are young migrant women.
Placement agencies recruit through village agents.
Risks include withheld wages, abuse and trafficking.
Registration rules exist but enforcement is weak.