The Rising Demand for Cleaning Jobs in the USA: What You Need to Know

Summary and Background

The U.S. cleaning sector has grown significantly due to public health concerns, technological advances, and social changes, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic. It includes roles such as janitors, housekeepers, and floor care specialists across residential, commercial, healthcare, and institutional settings. Employing over two million workers, predominantly women and immigrants, the industry faces challenges like low wages, job insecurity, and limited career advancement, compounded by subcontracting and regulatory gaps.

Historically, cleaning work evolved from informal domestic labor to a structured commercial industry since the late 1960s, expanding with technological progress and heightened hygiene needs. The workforce is diverse but marked by gender imbalance and significant immigrant participation, often in low-wage, less-skilled jobs. High turnover and job instability persist due to limited opportunities and broader labor market shifts.

Drivers of Demand and Types of Jobs

Demand for cleaning jobs is driven by increased hygiene awareness post-pandemic, technological innovations like robotic cleaners, economic growth, and a shift toward sustainable cleaning practices. Commercial real estate growth and workplace wellness investments also contribute. Despite rising wages, recruitment and retention remain difficult due to job instability and competition from other low-wage sectors.

Key roles include custodians, floor care specialists, commercial cleaners, janitors, and residential housekeepers. Jobs vary by setting and often require a combination of physical tasks and soft skills like communication and time management. Flexibility and work hours depend on the environment, with in-house positions typically offering better security and benefits than contractor roles.

Employment Trends and Worker Demographics

As of 2023, over 2.1 million people worked as janitors and cleaners, with maids and housekeeping cleaners numbering around 836,000. Employment is concentrated in building services and schools, mainly provided in-house. The workforce remains predominantly female and includes many immigrants, who often earn below the national median wage but are vital to the sector’s labor supply. High turnover and temporary job perceptions continue, worsened by pandemic-related labor shortages.

Immigrant workers are especially important in populous states and often accept less favorable conditions, helping maintain labor supply despite wage and job security challenges.

Skills, Qualifications, and Working Conditions

Cleaning jobs require physical stamina, hard skills (e.g., sweeping, equipment operation), and soft skills (e.g., attention to detail). Many roles provide on-the-job training, with certifications improving prospects. Work settings vary from commercial buildings to private homes, often requiring discretion and off-hours shifts. Full-time in-house jobs may offer benefits, unlike many contractor positions.

Average pay aligns with the national average but lags behind rising wages in comparable fields. Automation threatens job stability, emphasizing the need for ongoing training. Immigrant and domestic workers frequently face lower wages, limited protections, and underreported workplace injuries, especially among undocumented employees.

Challenges in the Cleaning Workforce

Cleaning workers face low wages, precarious employment, and limited access to benefits, with subcontracting practices and immigration status exacerbating instability. Many view these jobs as temporary due to scarce advancement and recognition. Technological demands increase barriers linked to education and digital literacy, while social factors like race and gender influence health and workplace experiences. Domestic and live-in workers often lack labor protections, increasing vulnerability.

Role of Immigrant Workers

Immigrants form a crucial part of the cleaning workforce, mostly in lower-wage, less-skilled roles. Legal status affects wages, benefits, and access to training, limiting career mobility. Workplace injuries are underreported due to fear of retaliation. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified labor shortages and turnover, with many immigrants viewing cleaning jobs as transitional due to limited opportunities.

Economic, Social, and Policy Context

Since the 1970s, cleaning jobs have increasingly become low-wage and insecure, with high turnover and job displacement contributing to income instability. The pandemic further intensified labor shortages. Many workers see cleaning roles as temporary, partly because of limited career paths and unequal access to education and technology. Labor protections often exclude domestic and certain cleaning workers, leaving gaps in benefits and safety regulations. Immigration status heavily influences wage suppression and job precarity, with subcontracting incentivizing employment of undocumented workers as contractors.

Labor-management partnerships like Building Skills Partnership provide crucial support through legal aid and advocacy, addressing economic, social, and policy challenges in the sector.

Opportunities and Future Outlook

The cleaning industry offers growing employment and career opportunities driven by technological innovation and heightened hygiene and sustainability demands. New roles require skills in operating advanced equipment and emphasize eco-friendly practices, potentially improving wages. The sector’s resilience depends on addressing training access and workforce equity to fully leverage these opportunities amid evolving market needs.

The content is provided by Sierra Knightley, Scopewires