Navigation

Newsletter

Subscribe to the latest news from the Nordic Labour Journal by e-mail. The newsletter is issued 9 times a year. Subscription is free of charge.

(Required)
You are here: Home i News i News 2019 i A gender change in the cleaning profession

A gender change in the cleaning profession

Cleaning is about to become a male-dominated occupation. It used to be nearly exclusively women who worked the mop. Now men, especially those with an immigrant background, are taking over according to a report from the Oslo Institute for Social Research.
Up one level

This folder has no visible items. To add content, press the add button, or paste content from another location.

Document Actions

What does an employer expect from a cleaner?

Marjan and Julia

Social researchers Marjan Nadim and Julia Orupabo have interviewed people who are responsible for recruitment in a range of companies. One question was which skills and competencies they see as necessary for cleaners to have. This is what they found: 

  • Employers see cleaning as physically demanding work for strong men, not very suitable for women.
  • Cleaning is skilled work. “Old cleaning ladies’ knowledge” has lost its value.
  • Employers consider motivation to be an important factor. Immigrants are viewed as being less fussy and as having better work techniques and professional pride. 
  • The sum total of demands and expectations means immigrant men are viewed as the most attractive. Cleaning is a low-status job which Norwegians do not want to do.

Read the report here:

Cleaning is becoming digital too

ISS

Read about how Danish service giant ISS changes the cleaning profession by introducing sensors that can tell if a room needs cleaning or not.

Read more:
Newsletter

Receive Nordic Labour Journal's newsletter nine times a year. It's free.

(Required)
h
This is themeComment