Manufacturing Manufacturing is the most diverse of any industry sector, encompassing everything from wind turbine blades to automobiles to toasters to screwdrivers to steaks to tomato sauce and much more. While many products go through the distribution chain and ultimately into the hands of individual consumers, a major share of manufacturing is never seen on a store shelf or in a home. Instead it supplies other manufacturers and service providers with the tools and equipment they need to complete and monitor their own work. Because its uses are so varied and widespread, manufacturing is the second largest sector in the U.S. economy, trailing only F.I.R.E. in total output. While manufacturing is not as significant within tribal economies, it still remains an important source of employment on reservations, accounting for nearly five percent of reservation jobs, according to the 2017 study by the Center of Indian Country Development previously discussed. Tribal manufacturing does not span the range of possible product lines in the country as a whole to the same degree. However, it has representation in each of the major subsectors, including consumer goods, food processing, defense and tech manufacturing, apparel and other textiles and many other products. The manufacturing sector in Indian country has grown larger and more sophisticated in the last 25 years, fueled in part by investible income from the gaming sector, transforming from a heavier emphasis on cottage industries and niche craftsmanship to larger and more labor-intensive facilities with national and global customer lists. Because of the variety in products and markets encompassed in the manufacturing sector, the effects of the pandemic and associated mitigation efforts are more varied. Some subsectors have experienced major upswings in demand, such as sanitation and PPE supplies. Other subsectors have experienced both the good and the bad, such as food processing, where manufacturers of grocery products have seen surges in demand even as those focused on the foodservice sector have seen demand vanish. Because of the proximity of workers on assembly lines, many manufacturers have been forced to close operations for a period of time to stave off outbreaks and clean their facilities, meat processors being the most well publicized. Other have suspended or reduced production primarily due to losses in end-user demand. While the variety of experiences between different subsectors protects the broader sector as a whole from the more severe reversals seen in some other industries, it will also mean a great deal of volatility will continue for longer than in other sectors. The overall sector performance impacts will be less representative of the likely impact on individual manufacturers than for other industries, with many continuing to struggle to a much greater degree and others wondering what all of the negative news is about.
∴ PROGNOSIS
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