15-06-26

The PHS social partners – EFFAT, EFFE, EFSI and UNI Europa – have published the 2026 edition of the PHS Employment Monitor. Produced under the EU-funded SCALE UP project, it builds on the first edition released in 2024 and offers a detailed picture of Personal and Household Services across Europe.

The Monitor collected more than 8,000 responses from 36 countries. Participants included 5,610 workers, almost 1,855 user-employers, 354 service users and 354 PHS provider organisations. Hearing from every side of the employment relationship reveals a shared challenge: improving pay and working conditions while keeping services affordable.

With cumulative EU-wide inflation of 6.2% since 2024, the cost-of-living crisis weighs on households, providers and workers alike. In his foreword, former Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights Nicolas Schmit points to the persistence of this crisis and to growing affordability concerns “for both sides in the employment relationship”.