The unpaid domestic and care work performed predominantly by women and girls has long been undervalued in official statistics, obscuring its economic importance and reinforcing gender inequalities. But with support from the International Labour Organization (ILO), Moldova has taken a pioneering step by integrating a light time-use module into its Labour Force Survey (LFS) to measure such work more systematically.
The new survey, launched in July 2025 and running until December 2025, will cover a representative sample of 10,000 households across the country. Using face-to-face, tablet-based interviews (CAPI method), the survey seeks to quantify how men and women divide their time between paid work, unpaid domestic and care work, and other activities.
Results are expected in June 2026 and will contribute directly to monitoring Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 on gender equality, particularly indicator 5.4.1, which tracks the proportion of time spent on unpaid work.
From Breakthrough to Implementation
Until 2013, national labour force surveys largely excluded unpaid work, failing to capture the immense contributions made by women in their households and communities. While the recognition of unpaid domestic and care work in global statistical standards was a breakthrough, countries struggled to measure time use efficiently within existing systems.
To address this, the ILO in 2018 launched a programme to help countries integrate unpaid work modules into labour surveys. This included:
Model questionnaires adapted to local contexts.
National adaptation guides and implementation toolkits.
Training and technical support for statistical offices.
Moldova became one of the first nations to apply this approach, adapting the ILO’s tools to its national context with the help of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The NBS designed the methodology, pilot tested the survey, refined the module, and trained interviewers to ensure reliable data collection.
Why It Matters
Globally, unpaid domestic and care work—such as cooking, cleaning, childcare, and elder care—represents a massive share of economic activity. If it were monetized, it could account for nearly 9% of global GDP. Yet because it is unpaid and often invisible in statistics, it is systematically undervalued.
In Moldova, as elsewhere, women and girls perform over 75% of this unpaid work, limiting their ability to participate in the formal labour market, access education, and engage in public life.
“By combining employment and unpaid work data, the survey will shed light on gender disparities in Moldova’s economy,” said an ILO expert. “It will also help policymakers design fit-for-purpose policies that recognize and support the care economy.”
Policy Impact and Long-Term Benefits
The survey will provide valuable evidence to:
Support Moldova’s National Gender Equality Programme.
Feed into the country’s “European Moldova 2030” strategy, which emphasizes inclusive development.
Strengthen international reporting on SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and related targets.
Improve policies on labour market participation, childcare provision, and social protection.
By recognizing and quantifying the value of unpaid care work, Moldova is positioning itself as a regional leader in gender-sensitive economic statistics.
A Model for Other Countries
Moldova’s initiative demonstrates that cost-effective, light time-use modules can be successfully integrated into existing national surveys without excessive burden on respondents or statistical systems. The approach can be replicated elsewhere, providing a scalable model for countries seeking to better capture the realities of care and domestic work.
As the global debate on the care economy intensifies, Moldova’s survey results in 2026 are expected to provide not just national insights, but also an international example of how statistics can drive more inclusive economic policies.