at the same time new groups of persons should be encouraged to seek employment in the care sector european commission european foundation for the improvement of living and working conditions and recognition in the form of decent wages should be given for their key contribution to social wellbeing and to the economy generally speaking a distinction is drawn between childcare and longterm 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 lowskilled but especially in the case of women often has competences acquired during the gender or class socialization process