- FMA
- The Fabricator
- FABTECH
- Canadian Metalworking
Categories
- Additive Manufacturing
- Aluminum Welding
- Arc Welding
- Assembly and Joining
- Automation and Robotics
- Bending and Forming
- Consumables
- Cutting and Weld Prep
- Electric Vehicles
- En Español
- Finishing
- Hydroforming
- Laser Cutting
- Laser Welding
- Machining
- Manufacturing Software
- Materials Handling
- Metals/Materials
- Oxyfuel Cutting
- Plasma Cutting
- Power Tools
- Punching and Other Holemaking
- Roll Forming
- Safety
- Sawing
- Shearing
- Shop Management
- Testing and Measuring
- Tube and Pipe Fabrication
- Tube and Pipe Production
- Waterjet Cutting
Industry Directory
Webcasts
Podcasts
FAB 40
Advertise
Subscribe
Account Login
Search
Quarterly economic survey shows manufacturers concerned about business climate
- July 11, 2012
- News Release
- Shop Management
The National Association of Manufacturers/IndustryWeek Survey of Manufacturers for the second quarter supports recent economic indicators that manufacturing has been slowing over the past few months. Manufacturers are concerned about tax, energy, and regulatory policies coming from Washington. For the second quarter in a row, a majority of respondents identified the unfavorable business climate as their primary challenge, up from 62.2 percent to 64 percent.
The survey results showed that 46.4 percent of respondents identified rising energy and raw material costs as a top challenge. Smaller manufacturers also are less positive than larger manufacturers, anticipating sales growth of 2.75 percent compared to 4.8 percent and 4.4 percent sales growth anticipated by medium-sized and larger firms, respectively. There was a 5 percent decrease in the number of respondents who are somewhat or very positive about their company’s outlook, dropping from 88 percent to 83 percent.
"With so many indicators reflecting a weakening in the manufacturing sector, it has become very clear that manufacturers are growing more cautious as they continue to face significant headwinds," said NAM Chief Economist Chad Moutray. "Aggressive regulations, uncertainty in the tax code, high energy costs, and global competitiveness are just a few of the issues Washington needs to address to get manufacturing growing strongly again." Several recent economic indicators have shown the pace of manufacturing activity slowing down in recent months, including those from some of the regional Federal Reserve Banks and the Institute for Supply Management’s survey. The comments reflected in this quarter’s survey echo this trend as manufacturers were slightly less confident in their companies’ outlooks, affecting their expectations for sales, employment, and investment.
The survey was conducted among 425 manufacturers in a variety of industries and of various sizes.
subscribe now
The Fabricator is North America's leading magazine for the metal forming and fabricating industry. The magazine delivers the news, technical articles, and case histories that enable fabricators to do their jobs more efficiently. The Fabricator has served the industry since 1970.
start your free subscription- Stay connected from anywhere
Easily access valuable industry resources now with full access to the digital edition of The Fabricator.
Easily access valuable industry resources now with full access to the digital edition of The Welder.
Easily access valuable industry resources now with full access to the digital edition of The Tube and Pipe Journal.
Easily access valuable industry resources now with full access to the digital edition of The Fabricator en Español.
- Podcasting
- Podcast:
- The Fabricator Podcast
- Published:
- 04/16/2024
- Running Time:
- 63:29
In this episode of The Fabricator Podcast, Caleb Chamberlain, co-founder and CEO of OSH Cut, discusses his company’s...
- Trending Articles
Tips for creating sheet metal tubes with perforations
JM Steel triples capacity for solar energy projects at Pennsylvania facility
Are two heads better than one in fiber laser cutting?
Supporting the metal fabricating industry through FMA
Omco Solar opens second Alabama manufacturing facility
- Industry Events
16th Annual Safety Conference
- April 30 - May 1, 2024
- Elgin,
Pipe and Tube Conference
- May 21 - 22, 2024
- Omaha, NE
World-Class Roll Forming Workshop
- June 5 - 6, 2024
- Louisville, KY
Advanced Laser Application Workshop
- June 25 - 27, 2024
- Novi, MI