A review of the literature reveals the lack of a single definition and the existence of widely varying approaches for deciding what paid jobs should be included in the care sector. This study on Latin America is based on the approach that defines paid care w ork as the provision of a service for dependent persons (children, the sick, older persons, persons with disabilities). By applying these criteria to household surveys in Latin America, care w orkers were identified as those in the health, education, social services and household services sectors in the following occupations: teachers and teaching assistants at the preschool education level, special education teachers, child carers, professional and registered nurses and nurses’ aides (both home- and institution-based), other care and personal service workers, companions, and domestic w’orkers. But this average masks some differences. In Uruguay, Brazil and Chile, paid care work accounts for more than 8% of all employment (9.2%, 8.5%and8.3%, respectively, in 2010). A large share of paid care work is domestic work.