{"id":233,"date":"2011-09-06T21:11:21","date_gmt":"2011-09-07T04:11:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/savingusmanufacturing.com\/blog\/?p=233"},"modified":"2011-09-06T21:11:21","modified_gmt":"2011-09-07T04:11:21","slug":"poll-shows-creating-manufacturing-jobs-is-key-to-recovery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/savingusmanufacturing.com\/blog\/general\/poll-shows-creating-manufacturing-jobs-is-key-to-recovery\/","title":{"rendered":"Poll Shows Creating Manufacturing Jobs is Key to Recovery"},"content":{"rendered":"

A July 2011 poll<\/a> of 1,202 likely voters American voters conducted by The Mellman Group and Ayres, McHenry & Associates revealed that voters want Washington to act on jobs, especially in manufacturing, which they believe will help restore America\u2019s lost status as the world\u2019s number one economy.\u00a0 Despite overwhelming public concern about these issues, fewer voters now believe the President or either party in Congress is focused on jobs than thought so in 2010.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis poll is a stark reminder that while official Washington goes back and forth in our newest crisis, Americans still feel no one is focusing on the real problems that matter to them:\u00a0 losing jobs, losing our manufacturing base, and the decline of our position in the world,\u201d said Scott Paul, Executive Director of the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM).<\/p>\n

The study finds that across the partisan spectrum, Democratic and Republican voters ranked job creation and rebuilding the nation\u2019s manufacturing base at the top of their list of priorities.\u00a0 When asked to select the most important task for Congress and the President, \u201ccreating new manufacturing jobs\u201d ranked just below creating jobs more generally and saw a bigger gain from 2010 (up 9%) than any other option.<\/p>\n

Americans don\u2019t believe that Congress or the President has done enough to support manufacturing.\u00a0\u00a0 Poll results showed that by a more than two-to-one margin (67% to 29%) voters prefer that Washington focus on job creation rather than deficit reduction. \u00a0This was down from the 2010 poll where 94% of voters wanted Washington to focus on jobs even more than on the deficit, with 85% specifying creating manufacturing jobs, and 88% of voters wanting Congress and the President to strengthen manufacturing in the U. S.<\/p>\n

Voters are less convinced than a year ago that Congress and the Administration are doing anything to create manufacturing jobs or to enforce fair trade.\u00a0 Although manufacturing was again ranked as the most important source of economic strength (by a wide margin over both healthcare and high tech), voters gave both Congress and the President lower marks on creating manufacturing jobs or addressing trade issues than they did in 2010.<\/p>\n

AAM\u2019s 2010 poll<\/a> first demonstrated serious voter concern about factory closings and job loss.\u00a0 In the 2010 poll, there was very little difference in the opinion of Independents, Democrats, and Republicans (64%, 67%, and 66% respectively) on the viewpoint that \u201cmanufacturing is a critical part of the American economy and we need a manufacturing base here if this country and our children are to thrive in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Said Paul, \u201cVoters see manufacturing as the key to recovery, and though it may surprise some pundits, this is the clear message from every voting demographic, including Tea Party and Republican voters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Along with manufacturing\u2019s rising profile, support for \u201cMade in America\u201d has also skyrocketed since 2010.\u00a0 Pollster Whit Ayres explains, \u201cAmericans strongly believe that we cannot be the world’s leading economy and job creator without manufacturing.\u00a0 They want to be able to buy top-quality products that say ‘Made in America.'”<\/p>\n

The poll also found concern over America\u2019s lost standing in the world.\u00a0 Pollster Mark Mellman says, \u201cAmericans no longer believe we have the world\u2019s strongest economy.\u00a0 But they do believe that a renewed focus on manufacturing jobs can turn things around.\u00a0 Americans understand that manufacturing is central to creating jobs and getting the economy back on track.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Some key findings from the poll include:<\/p>\n