Only 2% Of Japan Firms Pay Women More Than Men

Only 2% of Japanese companies pay women more than men among full-time employees, a Mainichi Shimbun analysis of labor ministry data has revealed, Natsuko Ishida reported.

Photo Insert: On average, the wage level of women was 76% that of men.

The Mainichi Shimbun examined figures from some 1,129 companies that had disclosed the wage difference between their male and female workers as of March 6 for the labor ministry's "Database of companies promoting women's active engagement."

It was also found that, on average, the wage level of women was 76% that of men. The difference in length of service and the low ratio of women in management positions are believed to have affected the result, and the gender "pay gap" in Japanese companies was once again highlighted.

Following revisions to ministerial ordinances of the Act on the Promotion of Women's Active Engagement in Professional Life last July, companies with 301 or more employees are required to disclose their female-male pay gap, and the data is updated daily on the ministry's website.

The disclosure covers three categories: all employees, regular employees, and non-regular employees.

The ministry requires that the gender pay gap be disclosed within about three months after the end of each company's business year.

Around 18,000 companies are subject to this requirement, and since most of them close their books at the end of March, it is expected that all of them will disclose the relevant data by the summer.

The 1,129 firms analyzed by the Mainichi included those with 300 or fewer employees that voluntarily disclose their figures. Companies that entered that women's wages were less than 1% of men's were excluded because they were deemed to be in error.

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