Domestic Worker: Fastest Growing Job In The World?

The most popular dream jobs might be astronaut, pop star, and helicopter pilot, but one of the most popular jobs in reality -- in terms of sheer numbers -- is a lot less glamorous. According to the United Nations, at least 52.6 million people worldwide are employed as domestic workers, and the number is likely tens of millions higher.

That's 60 percent more than 15 years ago, which may well make it the fastest-growing occupation in the world.

The U.N.'s International Labor Organization in Geneva conducted the survey in the wake of a June 2011 convention, which urged countries to treat domestic workers the same as other workers in terms of basic labor protections. Currently, only 10 percent of domestic workers around the world are covered by the same labor laws on issues such as hours, mandatory rest periods and annual leave, and 30 percent aren't covered by national labor laws at all.