Because Americans, by-and-large, are comfortable (or at least accustomed to) doing these things for themselves. Most of us wouldn't want a driver or maid or a cook. Some of this reluctance comes from our cultural self image (egalitarian, self-sufficient). Some of it comes from the structural and legal complexities of employment.
Finding somebody you would trust to have in your home is difficult. The paperwork involved for payroll and taxes can be complex and time consuming. Above all, domestic service just doesn't add enough value to make it worthwhile. I can drive my own car, cook my own meals and clean my own house, all without it seeming like an undue burden.
The situation is probably different for a family with two career-oriented parents and school-aged children. But it's unlikely that displaced factory workers have the skills and temperament necessary to take up work as an au pere.
Perhaps most importantly, it seems like a huge step backwards to re-establish a menial serving class.
Finding somebody you would trust to have in your home is difficult. The paperwork involved for payroll and taxes can be complex and time consuming. Above all, domestic service just doesn't add enough value to make it worthwhile. I can drive my own car, cook my own meals and clean my own house, all without it seeming like an undue burden.
The situation is probably different for a family with two career-oriented parents and school-aged children. But it's unlikely that displaced factory workers have the skills and temperament necessary to take up work as an au pere.
Perhaps most importantly, it seems like a huge step backwards to re-establish a menial serving class.