Survey shows manufacturers face major headwinds, but nearly 99% continue operations

The National Association of Manufacturers has released the results of the "Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey" for Q2 2020, showing that despite a historic drop in optimism to nearly 34% and challenging business conditions, 98.7% of manufacturers have continued or only temporarily halted operations.

The survey also shows that manufacturers are innovating to find ways to keep their businesses running and to protect workers and communities, with almost 22% retooling to produce PPE, 67% reengineering processes to reflect COVID-19 safety protocols, and 12% completely reevaluating the mission of the firm.