Japan Govt Aims to Minimize Gender Wage Gap to Match Western Nations; Team in Charge to Discuss Practical Measures to Achieve Goal

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:00 JST, April 24, 2024

The government plans to minimize the gender wage gap in Japan to match Western countries.

The government is expected to present its plan on Wednesday at the first meeting of a team that will lead the project, which is chaired by Wakako Yata, an aide to the prime minister.

The team will discuss practical measures to achieve the goal prior to the compilation of the Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform in June.

According to the Japan Institute for Labor Policy and Training, the gender wage gap in 2021 was 22.1% in Japan. The figure stood at about 16% in the United States and Canada and at about 14% in Britain.

The team plans to research the gender wage gap in various industries and gather information from experts.