At the same time, new groups of persons should be encouraged to seek employment in the care sector (European Commission, 2004; European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 2006), and recognition in the form of decent wages should be given for their key contribution to social well-being and to the economy. Generally speaking, a distinction is drawn between childcare and long-term care, which refers mainly to older persons but also includes chronic or terminal illnesses and persons with disabilities. There are common issues, however. Both sectors have a segmented workforce, with a professionalized group (in the respective areas of education and health) and a sector that is unskilled or low-skilled but —especially in the case of women— often has competences acquired during the gender or class socialization process.