State of Manufacturing®
The State of Manufacturing® is an annual survey of Minnesota’s manufacturing industry, highlighting the trends, conditions, and outlook of executives from around the state.

2022 survey results
The same Minnesota manufacturers who have navigated the challenges of a COVID-era economy, unprecedented disruptions in their supply chains, and dwindling numbers of available workers are now preparing for yet another marketplace headwind: The likelihood that increased inflation will require continued interest rate hikes culminating in a recession.
The number of manufacturers who fear an upcoming recession has more than doubled over last year, from 18% to 43%, according to the latest edition of Enterprise Minnesota’s State of Manufacturing® (SOM) survey.
In addition to fear of recession, inflation and attracting qualified workers remain at the top of manufacturers’ list of concerns. Despite pessimism about the broader economy, 88% of respondents say they are somewhat or very confident their company can withstand a recession. Confidence has been a hallmark of poll respondents since its inception.
“Despite strong headwinds, this year’s State of Manufacturing survey shows manufacturing executives expressing optimism about the financial future of their companies,” said Bob Kill, Enterprise Minnesota’s President & CEO. “I’m convinced that each of the profound business challenges executives have faced in recent years has added to their ability to face future crises.”
2022 survey release events
Each year, Enterprise Minnesota reveals the findings of our results in Minneapolis, then holds regional events around the state, including Fergus Falls, Owatonna, Grand Rapids, Duluth, Pine City, Worthington, Hutchinson, and Bemidji.

Survey results snapshot
Scroll through the slides below to see a selection of our 2022 State of Manufacturing® survey results.
View the complete 2022 State of Manufacturing® results slide deck here (PDF).
What manufacturers said
In 2022, we conducted 9 executive focus groups to hear subjective commentary behind the survey data. Below is a selection of what manufacturers said.
Read more about what our focus group participants said here.
View complete 2022 focus group transcripts on our Research page.
Requests for interview
Bob Kill, president & CEO of Enterprise Minnesota is available for comment and interview regarding the State of Manufacturing® survey. If you would like to schedule an interview, please contact Robert Lodge ([email protected]).
The State of Manufacturing survey is made possible through the support of our generous partners. If you are interested in being a part of the State of Manufacturing survey, please contact us.
The State of Manufacturing survey is conducted by Meeting Street Insights and is underwritten by Enterprise Minnesota.