Data & Research
Nearly three decades of the Manufacturers' Outlook Survey, the state of the manufacturing economy and an interactive map of manufacturing across America - all in one place.
NAM Data & Research
Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey
Every quarter since 1997, the NAM has asked manufacturers across the country how they see business conditions, what they expect for sales, hiring, wages and investment over the year ahead — and what stands in their way. Explore nearly three decades of results.
Explore the survey
Chart the survey, your way
Overall sentiment since 1997, what manufacturers expect for the year ahead — and the challenges weighing on the shop floor.
The share of manufacturers who feel positive about their own company’s outlook, every quarter since 1997. Shaded bands mark U.S. recessions.
Firm-size breakouts available from 2011. Small = fewer than 50 employees, medium = 50–500, large = more than 500.
The bigger picture
Manufacturing economy at a glance
Key indicators for the U.S. manufacturing economy, refreshed monthly. Select any card to see its trend since 2020.
Looking for the headline numbers on manufacturing jobs, output, wages and trade?
Facts About ManufacturingSources: NAM Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey (quarterly; conducted by the NAM among member and nonmember manufacturers of all sizes); U.S. macroeconomic series via TradingEconomics and FRED; manufacturing new orders, shipments and inventories from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories and Orders (M3) survey. Survey results with fewer than 30 responses per question are excluded.
Manufacturing in your state
See manufacturing where you live
Explore manufacturing employment, output and investment by state, congressional district and county.
United States
