Wage Gap Between Men and Women in Japan Reaches Record Low

According to a survey by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW), when the wage of men working full-time is set at 100 points, the wage of women is 75.8 points, the largest since 1976, when the survey began.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare believes that this is due to an increase in the percentage of women in managerial positions and the effect of the mandatory publication of the wage gap between men and women from 2010.

The wage gap between men and women is smaller in younger age groups. For college graduates aged 20-24, wages for men and women were almost the same, and for vocational school graduates in the same age group, women’s wages were higher than men’s. However, as the age group increases, the wage gap between men and women is becoming smaller.

However, the wage gap between men and women tends to widen with increasing age. Even for women in the 45-49 age group, the age group with the highest wages, wages were only 298,000 yen, far below the 444,100 yen (55-59 years old), the highest among men.

In addition, according to the Cabinet Office, the percentage of women in management positions remained at 14.6% in 2023.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare appears to be aiming to continue to improve measures to promote the success of women.

(source) https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/b929db523ccd2bcb08ce1642202ced816a4453fc