Paid domestic work in Mexico City: An analysis of the various forms of payment through classified ads in Excelsior and El Universal (1960-1980)

Abstract

The following article, which stems from a more extensive investigation, aims to analyze and describe the payment dynamics for domestic workers in the second half of the 20th century. The devaluation and historical invisibility of domestic work are reflected in the extremely low wages paid to these women. 532 newspaper advertisements seeking maids or servants were analyzed. These proved very revealing, as they allowed for the observation of salary ranges for a single year, the evolution of wages over the years of the study, as well as other forms of payment.