Gender wage gap in Taiwan narrows in 2020

Taiwan’s average hourly gender pay gap fell from 17.1% in 2010 to 14% in 2020, which translates to a fall from 63 to 51 extra work days.
By: | February 25, 2021
Topics: DE&I | Employee Experience | Health and Wellness | News | Taiwan

The average hourly salary for female employees in Taiwan last year was NT$296 (US$10.63), compared with NT$344 (US$12.35) for men, according to the Ministry of Labour (MOL). 

Over the past 10 years, Taiwan’s average hourly pay gap between men and women fell from 17.1% in 2010 to 14% in 2020, which translates to a fall from 63 to 51 extra work days for women to achieve the same pay level as men, said the ministry.

Despite the wage difference, Taiwan still fares better on gender pay equality than other countries worldwide, it added. 

In 2019, the gender wage gap was 31.9% in Japan and 30.6% in South Korea. In the United States, it was 17.7%, highlighted MOL. Over the past ten years, this gap has lowered by 3.3 percentage points in Japan, 7.8 percentage points in South Korea, and 1.1 percentage points in the United States, it said. In Taiwan, the gender pay gap fell by 3.1 percentage points over the same period. 

Taiwan’s Equal Pay Day for 2021 has been set for Feb 20, based on estimates that Taiwanese women needed to work that far into the year to earn the same amount as their male counterparts last year, reports Focus Taiwan news. 

READ: Taiwan protects working rights of middle-aged and senior workers

The Equal Pay Days for 2017, 2018 and 2019 were all set on Feb 23, which meant that female employees in Taiwan had to work 54 more days than men to make the same annual income. Their salaries were also 14.6% lower on average as compared to male employees.