Japan’s outdated policies keep too many women out of workforce
Japan has few options to prevent the labour supply from diminishing to a disastrous level. The underutilised potential of women offers room to lift productivity.
Japanese women’s labour force participation rate is impressive – at 73 per cent – and much higher than the OECD average of 61 per cent. But the average earnings of women are far below men’s, and the gender wage gap is much wider than in other countries, developed and developing.
Women’s college enrolment exceeds 50 per cent, similar to men’s. The World Economic Forum’s education indicator reports that women are as skilled as men, at least upon the completion of their education.
