2000 Census Data Show Extreme Commutes for Household Workers

Many immigrant women in New York travel up to four hours a day for low paying jobs.

1 minute read

May 7, 2004, 9:00 AM PDT

By Ratna Amin


"More than 18,000 household workers — nannies, cleaners, home health aides — endure daily trips of 90 minutes or more for jobs paying less than $25,000 a year, according to an analysis of 2000 Census data." Many of these women are immigrants, paralyzed by a lack of social networks and language skills, and are at the mercy of their employers who are often unforgiving. The irony is that there are often nearby jobs but the women don't know how to find them. This is the bittersweet story of one of these women, Ms. Museitef.

Thanks to Ratna Amin

Thursday, May 6, 2004 in The New York Times

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