Along with the reduction of prices and formalisation of the framework for providers, it is also important to stimulate employment in the formal market. Several measures can be introduced to foster employment possibilities in the PHS sector:

• New regulation on employment. Facilitating hiring and increasing the attractiveness of PHS work (employment security) through adequate statuses for employees.

Spain adopted a Royal Decree in 2011 which updates the labour relationships of domestic employees. It was intended to improve working conditions in the sector by bringing them as far as possible into line with those of other workers.

• Professionalisation (training, working conditions, skills recognition, etc.). Particular attention needs to be paid to this factor when it comes to supporting policies that are primarily intended to create jobs, promote employment and reduce undeclared work.

• Fostering PHS labour indirectly. This can mean, for example, immigration policies that are crucially important in many European countries in which immigrant informal service providers represent the main form of supply.

Since 2002, Italy has regularised the status of irregular migrants employed as domestic and care workers three times. As such, more than 550 000 of them have been awarded a work permit.