A New Growth Engine for Japan: Women in STEM Fields; Japan
Selected Issues Papers, May 18, 2023
Source details
- Canonical URL
- A New Growth Engine for Japan: Women in STEM Fields; Japan
Other formats
Bibliographic details
- Authors: Rui Xu
- Published: May 18, 2023
- Series: Selected Issues Papers
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9798400242366.018
Overview
- Despite recent improvements in female labor force participation, women remain underrepresented in STEM fields in Japan.
- Encouraging women to pursue STEM careers could boost Japan's growth potential due to the close link between STEM workers and innovation.
- The paper uses a calibrated endogenous growth model with STEM talent to quantify potential gains from eliminating barriers to STEM fields among women.
Key findings
- Bridging the gender gap in STEM fields can boost TFP growth by 20 percent.
- Bridging the gender gap in STEM fields can boost consumption-equivalent welfare by 4 percent.
Methodology
- Calibration of an endogenous growth model that incorporates STEM talent to evaluate the macroeconomic impact of increased female participation in STEM.
Policy implications and emphasis
- Removing barriers to STEM fields for women is presented as a lever to increase innovation-driven growth and raise welfare in Japan.
- The analysis highlights the importance of gender diversity in STEM as a contributor to total factor productivity improvements.
Content in this bundle
- sipea2023030 — A New Growth Engine for Japan: Women in STEM Fields