By Dee DePass

Minneapolis Star Tribune

Minnesota manufacturers are upbeat about the economy, with about 90 percent expecting production to increase or stay the same in 2017, according to a joint survey released Monday by the state and the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.

An overwhelming majority of the 262 factory heads surveyed expect new product orders and exports to spike this year. If such predictions for improved conditions prove correct, that could stabilize the sector after what was largely considered a rocky 2016.

Last year, most Minnesota-based multinational producers battled a strong U.S. dollar plus severe downturns in the oil, agricultural equipment, iron and steel sectors.

Going forward, more than 85 percent of surveyed manufacturers in the state told Federal Reserve officials that they expect better days ahead, which could buoy employment for the sector. Some 91 percent of those surveyed said manufacturing employment should increase this year.

“With manufacturing accounting for more than 315,000 jobs in Minnesota, the industry’s positive outlook is good news,” said Shawntera Hardy, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. “These results indicate that manufacturing in Minnesota is headed in the right direction, with the vast majority of employers expected to retain or increase the number of jobs in this critical industry.”