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.