A new ‘Family (Net) Work 2025’ report released on 22 November by employers’ association Assindatcolf—and covered by labour portal TuttoLavoro24—shows that more than half (53.3 %) of Italy’s 817,000 recorded home-help and care-giver jobs are now performed off the books. The share of undeclared cleaners and live-in carers has jumped three percentage points in three years, even as demand accelerates due to Italy’s rapidly ageing population (projected 5.3 million over-80s by 2035).
Costs are a major driver. A full-time live-in badante now costs families up to €1,800 a month, while tax deductions remain limited and complex. Rising inflation and stagnant household incomes push employers and migrant workers alike toward the untaxed ‘grey’ market where neither party enjoys insurance cover or pension accrual.
![Irregular Domestic Work Surges Past 53 % as Ageing Italy Relies on Foreign Carers]()
Assindatcolf blames slow visa processing and rigid quotas: seasonal schemes rarely match real-time needs for elder care, and bureaucratic delays mean carers recruited abroad often arrive months late. The lobby proposes a dedicated fast-track quota for domestic workers, payroll tax credits for families, and electronic ‘family vouchers’ modelled on France’s CESU system to encourage formal hiring.
For corporate mobility teams the findings highlight a hidden compliance risk. Expatriates on assignment who hire live-in help may unwittingly engage irregular staff, exposing both the individual and the company to fines of up to €36,000. Mobility managers should insist on registered contracts, verify INPS contributions, and budget higher gross wages to remain compliant. Relocation vendors are likely to update service packages to include payroll onboarding for domestic staff and guidance on accessing the priority-booking ‘Decreto Flussi’ click-days allocated to carers.
Policy makers are expected to debate a separate domestic-work channel in the next immigration-quota decree, alongside simplified renewal rules for carers already in Italy. If approved, the measure could unlock an extra 20,000 legal permits per year—still far below projected demand but a step toward shrinking Italy’s expanding informal care economy.
Costs are a major driver. A full-time live-in badante now costs families up to €1,800 a month, while tax deductions remain limited and complex. Rising inflation and stagnant household incomes push employers and migrant workers alike toward the untaxed ‘grey’ market where neither party enjoys insurance cover or pension accrual.
Assindatcolf blames slow visa processing and rigid quotas: seasonal schemes rarely match real-time needs for elder care, and bureaucratic delays mean carers recruited abroad often arrive months late. The lobby proposes a dedicated fast-track quota for domestic workers, payroll tax credits for families, and electronic ‘family vouchers’ modelled on France’s CESU system to encourage formal hiring.
For corporate mobility teams the findings highlight a hidden compliance risk. Expatriates on assignment who hire live-in help may unwittingly engage irregular staff, exposing both the individual and the company to fines of up to €36,000. Mobility managers should insist on registered contracts, verify INPS contributions, and budget higher gross wages to remain compliant. Relocation vendors are likely to update service packages to include payroll onboarding for domestic staff and guidance on accessing the priority-booking ‘Decreto Flussi’ click-days allocated to carers.
Policy makers are expected to debate a separate domestic-work channel in the next immigration-quota decree, alongside simplified renewal rules for carers already in Italy. If approved, the measure could unlock an extra 20,000 legal permits per year—still far below projected demand but a step toward shrinking Italy’s expanding informal care economy.
