**Demand for Household Services Continues to Rise in China**

Stella Tian, a 33-year-old office worker in Beijing, has two toddlers — a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old — and employs two nannies to help look after the children and simplify her life, as she and her husband have hectic work lives. “I have changed my nannies a few times. Some were not professional enough and didn’t get along well with my family members, and some had other plans that came up. It’s not easy to find a suitable nanny for the long term,” Tian said.

A Growing Market for Household Services

Like Tian, demand for homemaking services among Chinese urban families is surging, and trained domestic helpers, nannies and nurses for the elderly are in great demand, promising to incubate a market expected to reach 1.3 trillion yuan ($181.1 billion) in 2026.

• China’s household services sector has maintained rapid growth, driven by the increasing demand for professional household services among middle-income families.
• Millions of middle-income Chinese families, especially those with young children and aging family members, are seeking professional helpers to ease life’s burdens.
• Compared with diversified and high-quality demand, there are still problems such as a shortage of professional supply and nonstandard industry development.

Shortage of Domestic Workers in China

It is estimated that there is a shortage of over 20 million domestic workers in China, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

1. Millions of middle-income Chinese families are seeking professional household services, leading to a surge in demand for domestic workers.
2. However, the supply of domestic workers is limited, leading to a shortage in the industry.
3. Efforts are being made to address this shortage and promote the development of the household services sector.

Government Efforts to Promote the Household Services Sector

To address the shortage of domestic workers and promote the development of the household services sector, the Chinese government has published a guideline to further promote the development of its home-based services sector.

“Household services are an important sector that helps promote consumption, benefits people’s lives and stabilizes employment,” said Kong Dejun, director of the Department of Trade in Services and Commercial Services at the commerce ministry.

Training and Employment Opportunities

The government is encouraging household service enterprises to expand into emerging service areas such as professional deep cleaning, indoor air treatment and nutritional consulting.

• More employment-oriented domestic service training should be offered to provide workers with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the industry.
• Social capital is encouraged to flow into the household services sector to support the development of the industry.
• Local governments may include homemaking occupations into local shortage directories to attract more workers into the industry.

Platform-Based Companies and Online Services

Catering to the growing demand for household services, a number of platform-based homemaking service companies such as 58.com and Ayibang have developed their business to raise the efficiency of supply-demand matching.

“We will guide various regions to implement employment and entrepreneurship policies, and homemaking personnel should enjoy tax incentives and social security subsidies upon laws and regulations,” said Luo Shoufeng, deputy head of the department of migrant workers’ jobs at the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

Private Butler Service

High-net-worth families in China are becoming increasingly popular, and they are showing a growing demand for hiring private butlers as they embrace such a trend in Western countries.

• Private butlers usually act as senior life consultants for their employers’ core family management issues.
• Unlike ordinary housekeeping service personnel, private butlers usually need to understand advanced family affairs.
• They usually speak one or two foreign languages, understand children’s educational planning, and have knowledge about issues such as nutrition, luxury products and ironing.

Training and Recruitment

Butlers usually need to take a few months of training classes before they start working.

“Now, 70 percent of butlers in China are females. A lot of graduates and qualified people are still hesitating about engaging in this profession, and the supply of butlers is seeing a shortage. We plan to host a session to introduce the career path of the profession and attract more graduates,” said Zhang Ran, founder and president of Meiyinghui Family Service.

Market Demand and Trends

The demand for household services is no longer limited to daily chores, as online shopping and food deliveries have made it increasingly convenient for consumers, and they have indicated demand for higher-level specialized services.

• Most consumers choose to hire day-shift nannies and part-time workers to assist with household chores and cooking.
• Demand for eldercare and childcare has continued to grow.
• For deep cleaning of homes, consumers pay more attention to the thorough cleaning of kitchen oil stains, bathroom tiles and hard-to-clean corners and under spaces.

Conclusion

China’s household services sector is expected to continue to grow, driven by the increasing demand for professional household services among middle-income families. Efforts are being made to address the shortage of domestic workers and promote the development of the industry. With the rise of platform-based companies and online services, the industry is becoming increasingly convenient and accessible for consumers. The demand for private butlers is also on the rise, driven by the growing demand for high-end household services among high-net-worth families. As the industry continues to grow, it is expected to create new job opportunities and stimulate economic growth.