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Washington, July 12 (Jiji Press)--The United States and Japan on Wednesday agreed to cooperate to improve the employment environment for women, including bridging wage gaps between men and women.
The agreement came at a meeting between U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao and visiting Japanese Minister for Gender Equality and Social Affairs Kuniko Inoguchi.
Chao said the average wage of women is about 77 pct of that of men in the United States.
In Japan, women's average wage is about 69 pct of men's, according to the Cabinet Office.
Chao also said that women's entry into the labor market lowered productivity temporarily in the United States but has strengthened the nation's economy eventually, according to sources with access to the meeting.END
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