Monthly Labour Survey – March 2026 Results Final Report

News Highlights

According to the final results of the Monthly Labour Survey for March 2026, real wages in the medical and welfare sector are presumed to be continuing on a downward trend year-on-year. This situation suggests a double bind in healthcare facility management, with increasing personnel costs and stagnant revenue growth due to factors such as medical fee revisions. In particular, the risk of difficulty in securing and retaining specialized professionals, including doctors and nurses, is increasing, making the stabilization of the management base an urgent issue.

M&A Medical Editorial Department’s Perspective

The latest results from the Monthly Labour Survey confront healthcare facilities, especially small and medium-sized clinics and hospital management, with the reality that the dual management challenges of personnel cost pressure and declining profitability are becoming more pronounced. The stagnation in real wage growth suggests that the increase in personnel costs may be exceeding the revenue growth from medical fee revisions and advancements in medical technology. This makes it difficult to secure and retain excellent medical personnel, and consequently, it can become a factor that further complicates the continuation of business when there is no successor, such as in cases of lack of successor. In such an environment, it is essential to consider more fundamental management strategies beyond mere cost reduction, such as expanding business scale through M&A, improving management efficiency, or creating synergies through collaboration with other organizations. In particular, considering third-party succession around the time when the chairman/director and president turn 60 years old can be an effective measure not only for resolving succession issues but also for overcoming this challenging management environment.

Points Raised by This News

• Stagnant real wages suggest a management environment where rising personnel costs exceed revenue growth.
• Difficulty in securing and retaining medical personnel may increase the risk of declining medical quality and business continuity.
• The need to consider M&A as a fundamental management strategy for small and medium-sized medical institutions is increasing.
• For chairmen/directors and presidents around the age of 60, third-party succession can be a measure that balances the resolution of succession issues with management stabilization.

Practical Questions Arising from This News

• Amidst stagnant real wages, what specific measures can be taken to appropriately manage our hospital’s personnel costs while retaining excellent staff?
• Given ongoing medical fee revisions, are there specific schemes to strengthen the revenue base through M&A?
• In a situation with no successor, and when considering third-party succession as an alternative to closure or dissolution, how long should the preparation period be?

If You Feel “Should I Consult Too?”

If your hospital’s chairman/director and president are approaching 60 years old and you feel a vague anxiety about the lack of a successor or the current harsh healthcare management environment (soaring personnel costs, stagnant medical fee growth), considering M&A, including third-party succession, can be an effective option to avoid the worst-case scenario of closure or dissolution and to continue and develop the business. First, let’s start by sharing your hospital’s current situation and future vision with experts to explore concrete options and their feasibility.

M&A Medical (CentralMedience Inc.) supports the business succession of medical corporations, hospitals, and clinics as a Small and Medium Enterprise Agency-certified M&A support institution, with a full success fee basis. Consultations are accepted with strict confidentiality. Free consultation here