Tokyo, 12 June, /AJMEDIA/
The government said Tuesday it is considering expanding the scope of companies required to release gender wage gap data, aiming to address the pay disparity between women and men in Japan, one of the biggest among major economies.
Under a policy blueprint to promote women’s economic empowerment, all companies with more than 100 employees would be expected to release such data. The scope currently covers firms with over 300 employees, numbering around 17,800 companies.
With the expansion of the scope, the total number of targeted companies would increase to around 50,700, according to the labor ministry.
The government plans to submit a related bill to the ordinary Diet session in 2025 to introduce the requirement on the companies.
According to 2023 data from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, full-time male workers in Japan earned a monthly average of 350,900 yen, whereas women received 262,600 yen, representing 74.8 percent of men’s earnings.
Based on 2022 or latest available data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the gender wage gap was 21.3 percent for Japan, 17.0 percent for the United States, 11.6 percent for France and 5.7 percent for Italy, among other countries.
The wage disparity between the sexes in Japan is believed to be due to fewer women in senior positions and men tending to work longer hours than women.
In the blueprint, the government is urging companies to analyze the factors behind the gap. Based on the reports, relevant ministries will compile action plans for each industry to rectify the situation.
The government has set a target for companies listed on the top-tier Prime Market of the Tokyo bourse to achieve the ratio of female board members at 19 percent by 2025 and 30 percent or more by 2030.
The figure was 13.4 percent in 2023, up from 11.4 percent the previous year, according to the Cabinet Office.
To achieve the target, the latest policy blueprint states the government will carry out surveys on companies regarding the percentage of female board members and their goals for women’s appointment to executive roles.
© KYODO
