NAM Reports the Extent of Regulatory Burden on Manufacturers

As the incoming Trump administration prepares to roll back misguided federal regulations, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) has released a new study revealing the number of business and operational hurdles that manufacturers face on a daily basis as a result of the nation’s current regulatory structure.

The study, called “Holding Us Back: Regulation of the U.S. Manufacturing Sector,” is based on extensive interviews, a survey of the NAM membership and an analysis of hundreds of specific federal regulations.

Key findings include:

Manufacturers face 297,696 restrictions on their operations from federal regulations.

Eighty-seven percent of manufacturers surveyed say that if compliance costs were reduced permanently and significantly, they would invest the savings on hiring, increased salaries and wages, more R&D or capital replacement.

Ninety-four percent of manufacturers surveyed say the regulatory burden has gotten higher in the last 5 years, with 72% saying “significantly higher.”