NEW YORK (AP) — Google said it's "taken aback " by the government's claim that it doesn't compensate women fairly.

The company said it conducts "rigorous analyses" that its pay practices are gender-blind and found "no gender pay gap" in 52 major job categories it analyzed last year. Google added that analysts who calculate suggested pay don't have access to employees' gender data.

Google also said that beyond gender pay equity, the company recently expanded the analysis to cover race in the U.S. as well.

The U.S. Department of Labor had accused Google of shortchanging women doing similar work...