The European Employment and Social Rights Forum 2026 in Brussels delivered a clear message: Europe’s competitiveness, resilience and social cohesion are inseparable from the strength of its social model.
Under the theme “Social Europe: Empowering people in times of change,” the Forum gathered European leaders, policymakers, social partners and civil society to address demographic change, labour and skills shortages, social inclusion, affordability and the future of quality work. For our federation, representing the domestic & homecare sector, the debates confirmed that our sector lies at the crossroads of these strategic challenges.
High-level discussions, including interventions by President Ursula von der Leyen and Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu, Enrico Letta, EU labour ministers, Mario Nava, DG EMPL, Ylva Johansson, the new Chair of the European Skills High-Level Board, and many social partners and stakeholders, emphasised that economic integration and social cohesion must advance together. Competitiveness cannot be sustained without investment in people, in skills and in fair working conditions. Participants highlighted the urgency of addressing labour shortages through lifelong learning and better recognition of skills, while ensuring that simplification efforts do not lead to deregulation or weaker enforcement of labour standards.
A particularly sobering reminder was that work is no longer a guarantee against poverty. Structural inequalities persist across generations, and one in four children in the European Union remains at risk of poverty or social exclusion. Policymakers were called upon to look beyond statistical averages and to engage more directly with lived realities.
The second day of the Forum shifted the focus from vision to implementation, examining how initiatives such as the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, skills policies, labour mobility frameworks and EU funding instruments can translate into tangible improvements in people’s lives.
Across all panels, demographic change emerged as one of Europe’s defining challenges. Ageing populations, shrinking workforces and rising care needs are reshaping labour markets and social protection systems. At the same time, the recognition of work-life balance and family responsibilities is gaining prominence in policy debates.
These developments directly concern the domestic & homecare sector. Domestic & home care support are essential to enabling older persons and persons with disabilities to live independently and with dignity. They support parents’ participation in the labour market by providing accessible childcare solutions. They also play a key role in reducing persistent gender gaps, as care responsibilities and care professions continue to be disproportionately borne by women.
The development of quality childcare, support for informal carers, improved working conditions, occupational safety and health standards, adequate social protection and genuine social dialogue are not isolated policy objectives. They form part of a coherent response to demographic transformation. Without strong local care ecosystems, Europe cannot fully address labour shortages, barriers to employment or social inequalities.
One session, “Mind the Gap: Social protection today for a dignified old-age tomorrow,” highlighted these challenges in practice. Speakers underscored that long-term care systems are not yet ready for Europe’s ageing population, and that workers with non-standard hours and informal carers—who provide most of Europe’s home-based care—often remain invisible and unsupported. Vulnerable groups, including women, migrants, and young carers, face the greatest barriers. Discussions emphasised the need to break down silos between disability and long-term care policy, strengthen pensions and social protection for self-employed workers, and expand quality care services that respect individuals’ choices to remain at home or in their community. The session reinforced that developing home-based care is not only a workforce challenge but also a matter of social justice, autonomy, and dignity.
One of the most striking moments of the Forum was President Ursula von der Leyen’s reflection on affordability and housing. Her words resonate far beyond housing policy alone:
“Finally, affordability. Nowhere is affordability felt more directly than at home. A home is not just four walls and a roof. It is safety, warmth, a place for family and friends. It is belonging. But for too many Europeans today, home has become a source of anxiety. It can mean debt or uncertainty. Across Europe, the consequences are plain to see. Students turning down university places for lack of accommodation. Young couples delaying starting a family because they cannot afford a place to live. Nurses and firefighters unable to live in the communities they serve.”
These words underline a fundamental truth: the home is not merely a physical structure. It is the centre of stability, autonomy and belonging. Yet for many Europeans, remaining at home — particularly in situations of ageing, disability or vulnerability — is increasingly difficult.
The debate on affordability must therefore extend beyond bricks and mortar. The ability to stay at home also depends on the availability of accessible, affordable and quality homecare support. Today, many people are unable to stay at home due to a lack of adequate solutions and sufficient support.
Household employment is intrinsically linked to this objective. It enables people to live safely and with dignity in their communities. It supports families balancing professional and caregiving responsibilities. It contributes to social inclusion and local cohesion. And it creates employment that is rooted in communities and cannot be relocated elsewhere.
Despite its strategic importance in enabling autonomy, supporting families, and addressing demographic challenges, the domestic & homecare sector remains largely invisible in public debates — a contradiction that underscores the urgent need for recognition, professionalisation, and inclusion in policymaking.
However, the sustainability of the domestic & home care sector depends on the quality of the jobs within the sector. Labour shortages, precarious working conditions and insufficient recognition of skills remain significant barriers.
Improving attractiveness requires investment in professionalisation pathways, lifelong learning and the formal recognition of competencies. It requires adequate social protection and effective occupational safety and health measures. It requires tackling informality and ensuring that workers benefit from clear rights and protections. And it requires robust social dialogue capable of addressing the specific characteristics of employment relationships in private households.
Quality jobs are not only a matter of fairness for workers; they are essential to ensuring reliable and sustainable support for households. Without decent working conditions, the capacity to respond to demographic and social needs will remain limited.
The European Employment and Social Rights Forum 2026 confirmed that domestic and homecare are not peripheral social concerns. They are structural components of Europe’s economic and social architecture.
If Europe is serious about addressing demographic change, overcoming labour shortages, closing gender gaps, supporting vulnerable groups and ensuring that everyone can live with dignity in their own home, then the home employment sector must be recognised as a strategic partner.
Investing in care and home employment is not merely social expenditure. It is an investment in competitiveness, resilience and cohesion. It is an investment in people’s autonomy and in the fundamental promise that everyone deserves a safe place to call home — and the support necessary to remain there.