How do Americans feel about the manufacturing sector? A new survey from product sourcing, supplier selection, and marketing solutions company Thomas polled participants from across the US to take a temperature on how Americans feel about manufacturing both from an economic standpoint and as a viable career option.

Sixty-two percent of respondents prefer to buy American-made products, for example. Only 46 percent of respondents view the increased number of tariffs on foreign-made goods as disruptive to the American economy. Most encouraging, 95% of all respondents said they believe manufacturing is important to the US economy.

The majority of those survyed also look at manufacturing as a good career choice. “Since the skills gap is one of the biggest issues the industry is facing, it’s good to see that 60 percent of survey respondents would likely encourage someone entering the workforce to pursue a career in manufacturing, said Tony Uphoff, president and CEO of Thomas, said. “In reality, there has never been a more exciting time for industry as output is at an all-time high and job growth continues to rise.” 

Take a look at the rest of the survey results in the infographic below:

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Chris Wiltz is a Senior Editor at  Design News covering emerging technologies including AI, VR/AR, blockchain, and robotics.