Manufacturers are expressing concern for their field amid low activity while President Joe Biden pushes new initiatives.

Manufacturers' optimism regarding their companies dropped since last quarter, according to the National Association of Manufacturers's Q2 2023 Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey.

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Sixty-seven percent of manufacturers reported having a positive outlook on their company this quarter compared to 74.7% in the first quarter, marking the lowest ratings since 2020.

Among the top barriers facing manufacturers are retaining a quality workforce at 74.4%, a weakened domestic economy at 55.7%, and 52.1% believe they have an unfavorable business climate.

During Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign, the president ran on promises of creating 5 million new manufacturing roles as part of his "Buy American" provisions.

The president’s administration has been adamant that manufacturing employment has continued to grow, noting in an April memo that 750,000 total manufacturing jobs have been created since Biden took office.

Biden gave remarks in March on his February jobs report, highlighting his CHIPS and Science Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the Inflation Reduction Act.

“We’ve seen companies commit more than $300 billion — companies from around the world commit more than $300 billion to invest in future manufacturing and innovation here in America, creating jobs,” Biden said.

Despite jobs being added, U.S. manufacturing activity hit the lowest level in three years. The Institute for Supply Management survey from April showed that the manufacturing purchasing managers index was at about 46%.

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The manufacturing PMI has consistently fallen below the 50% threshold since November 2022, marking the first time since 2009 the threshold has dropped below 50%, according to data, showing 47% as of May.

The report shows manufacturers are pushing Congress to enact “comprehensive permitting reform, simplifying and speeding up the approval process for new projects,” with 75.1% of manufacturers saying it would benefit their company by providing aid in the hiring process and expanding wages and benefits.