This does not mean, however, that discrimination against women no longer exists. In a poll conducted by the Prime Minister's Office in 1995, more than half of the respondents felt that women had not achieved equality in the workplace or in the realm of social attitudes. This section focuses on the situation of Japanese women at work today and on measures taken by the Government to improve their lot. Over the past 10 years or so, there has been a small but steady decline in the ratio of women in the 25-34 age group who drop out of the labor force. This trend suggests that a growing number of women are choosing to continue to work during pregnancy and the early years of child care.
Female workers tend to concentrate in certain occupations.
According to 1994 statistics, women accounted for more than half of the labor force in the service sector, including the finance and insurance industries. One third of working women were employed as clerical staff, the most common occupation. The Government has implemented various measures to improve the situation of working women. The 1947 Labor Standards Law marked an important step forward by introducing the principle of equal pay for equal work. Nevertheless, many companies have continued to implement separate hiring policies for men and women, with different systems for promotion and salary increases.