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Who exactly is unwilling to work as domestic help? Most poor people i know would be more than willing to do that. I've done that sort of work. Transportation co

Who exactly is unwilling to work as domestic help? Most poor people i know would be more than willing to do that. I've done that sort of work. Transportation costs are high and a lot of time is spent on the bus as you travel from job to job for just a few hours of work, but its doable. Its the same problem as with lots of other jobs though. Clients want to hire people with experience, not just anyone. Cleaning services get most of the work, since they can often pay to replace belongings that might get broken or ruined. You're not just discovering a new area of possible employment. The people who can afford to pay to have their houses cleaned, their errands run, their yardwork done, have long done so. If you aren't currently employing anyone and are bringing in a nice income, you're the exception.

yummyfajitas 14y ago
Your post ignores a very important variable - price. Who exactly is unwilling to work as domestic help? Pretty much anyone, at $10-12/hour. People who can afford to pay $35-40/hour have their houses cleaned by a maid, but there is nothing special about this price point. If we have a lot of un-utilized labor who are willing to clean houses for less than $35/hour, prices should fall. Since prices have not fallen, we must conclude that our unemployed are unwilling to clean houses except for high wages. (Or possibly demand for domestic services is completely inelastic, but that's unlikely. I'd certainly have my house cleaned more often if it were cheaper, and I know many people who can't afford it at $35/hour but could at $10/hour.)
- lilsunnybee 14y ago
  I've worked for less than $10 an hour doing housecleaning when i was first starting out. I topped out at $15 an hour. That's higher than minimum wage and you're going to get plenty of interest as long as you're advertising. Most poor people aren't as choosy as you seem to think they are.

yummyfajitas 14y ago

Your post ignores a very important variable - price. Who exactly is unwilling to work as domestic help? Pretty much anyone, at $10-12/hour. People who can afford to pay $35-40/hour have their houses cleaned by a maid, but there is nothing special about this price point. If we have a lot of un-utilized labor who are willing to clean houses for less than $35/hour, prices should fall. Since prices have not fallen, we must conclude that our unemployed are unwilling to clean houses except for high wages. (Or possibly demand for domestic services is completely inelastic, but that's unlikely. I'd certainly have my house cleaned more often if it were cheaper, and I know many people who can't afford it at $35/hour but could at $10/hour.)

lilsunnybee 14y ago
I've worked for less than $10 an hour doing housecleaning when i was first starting out. I topped out at $15 an hour. That's higher than minimum wage and you're going to get plenty of interest as long as you're advertising. Most poor people aren't as choosy as you seem to think they are.