How do domestic helpers in Singapore actually feel about their work, and how do employers feel about their helpers? Most of what you read online is anecdote. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) asks both sides directly in a study it runs every few years. Here is what its latest report found, side by side with the previous round, and what to keep in mind when reading it.

About the Survey

  • Who: 1,208 migrant domestic workers (MDWs) and 802 employers, chosen at random to reflect the overall profile in Singapore.
  • When: fieldwork from August to November 2021; the report was published in 2022. It is the third run, after 2010 and 2015–2016.
  • How: helpers were interviewed face to face (door-to-door visits and street interviews) by an independent company appointed by MOM; employers answered door-to-door or online.

What Helpers Said

2015 2021
Satisfied with working in Singapore 97.2% 99.2%
Would recommend Singapore to family or friends 78.6% 99.0%
Received salary on time 97.2% 99.1%
Satisfied with accommodation 94.2% 99.2%
Had at least one rest day a month 97.5% 93.4%
Compensated when a rest day was not taken 63.0% 94.2%
Owned a mobile phone 98.2% almost all

Two more findings stand out:

  • Most want to stay. 80.6% intended to keep working in Singapore, and of those working as helpers, 93.8% wanted to stay with the same employer when the contract ends (83.7% in 2015).
  • Pay and safety are why they come. The top reasons for choosing Singapore were good pay (76.1%) and Singapore being a safe country (64.4%).

The One Number That Went Down: Rest Days

Rest days are the only major measure that fell: 93.4% of helpers had at least one rest day a month in 2021, against 97.5% in 2015. MOM suggested COVID-19 may explain part of it — many helpers preferred to stay home during the pandemic. On their rest days, helpers most often went to shopping malls (80.0%), stayed home (54.0%) or visited parks (44.8%).

What changed after the survey matters more for employers today: since the end of 2022, at least one rest day a month must be given and cannot be compensated away. (See our guide to rest days and off-day expectations.)

What Employers Said

  • 85% were satisfied with their current helper, up from about 75% in 2016.
  • 70.1% intended to renew their helper's contract (66.0% in 2016).
  • Why they hire: general household cleaning (81.7%), cooking (58.7%), caring for children (53.0%) and caring for the elderly (30.4%).
  • More than 80% found their helper through an employment agency.

What employers look for when choosing a helper

Top factors (2021) Share
Her attitude 66.5%
How quickly she can start 38.8%
Language used in the household 38.7%
Previous experience as a helper 34.8%
The salary she will accept 28.2%

Attitude came first by a wide margin — well ahead of experience or salary. When choosing an agency, employers looked most at the choice of helpers it offered (50.7%) and its quality of service (46.9%). They also told MOM they want agencies to offer better replacement and refund policies, better matching and training, and a shorter hiring time. (Our guide on how to choose a maid agency covers what MOM publishes about each agency.)

How to Read These Numbers

  • It is a snapshot of 2021, taken during COVID-19 restrictions. Rest days in particular may look different now that the monthly rest day cannot be compensated away.
  • Surveys capture what people are willing to say. Very high satisfaction figures are encouraging, but they describe the helpers who could be reached and chose to answer, not every household.
  • Averages hide individual homes. A 99% satisfaction rate still leaves room for the households where things are not working — and those are the ones that need attention.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are most domestic helpers in Singapore satisfied with their jobs?

In MOM's 2021 study, 99.2% of helpers said they were satisfied with working in Singapore, up from 97.2% in 2015.

How many helpers get a rest day?

93.4% had at least one rest day a month in 2021. Since the end of 2022, at least one rest day a month is mandatory and cannot be replaced with pay.

What do employers value most when hiring a helper?

Attitude. 66.5% of employers ranked it as the top factor, ahead of how soon she could start (38.8%) and language (38.7%).

How many employers renew their helper's contract?

70.1% of employers in the 2021 study intended to renew, up from 66.0% in 2016.

How HelperMate Helps

Two of the findings above — rest days and clear communication — are exactly what HelperMate is built around. Employers can record each rest day (and any day worked and paid instead), and shared daily tasks appear in the helper's own language, so expectations are clear from the first week.

Sources