Roma are often seen as work shy and as voluntarily living on welfare rather than looking for a job. This picture is far from the reality of most Roma. There would be no point in denying that there are some Roma who prefer to live on welfare just as much as this phenomenon can be found in other ethnic groups, included in the majority population. The crucial question, however, is not if Roma want to work but what kind of employment they can find, if any: Roma are virtually invisible in the service sector. There are almost no Roma taxi drivers, shop assistants, kitchen workers, waiters, or door men. It goes beyond the imagination of many to employ a Roma house cleaner, let alone a baby sitter.
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