The Japanese government is considering expanding the requirement for companies to release gender wage gap data in an effort to address the pay disparity between women and men in the country. Currently, only companies with over 300 employees are required to disclose such information, but the proposed policy would extend this requirement to all companies with more than 100 employees.
This expansion would significantly increase the number of targeted companies to around 50,700, compared to the current 17,800. The government plans to introduce a bill to the Diet in 2025 to enforce this requirement.
According to recent data, full-time male workers in Japan earn significantly more than their female counterparts, with women earning only 74.8% of what men earn. Japan’s gender wage gap of 21.3% is higher than countries like the United States, France, and Italy.
To address this issue, the government is urging companies to analyze the factors behind the gap and is setting targets for female representation on company boards. The goal is to reach a 30% ratio of female board members by 2030, with surveys and action plans in place to achieve this target.
Overall, the government’s efforts aim to reduce the gender wage gap and promote gender equality in the workforce in Japan.
© KYODO