Regulations a rising economic burden to manufacturers, report says

The economic burden of federal regulation in the United States has risen dramatically over the past 20 years, particularly affecting the nation’s manufacturers, according to an industry group report to be released today. The Washington Post, citing the report, says the average number of major federal regulations—those expected to have an economic impact in excess of $100 million—that have been finalized each year has risen with each recent administration. Under President Bill Clinton it was 27 per year. The number rose to 35 under George W. Bush, and it stands at 44 per year between 2009 and 2011, under President Obama. “The increasing number of regulations has harmed the manufacturing sector’s production,” the report says. All aspects of manufacturing “are impacted negatively by the myriad regulations.” David Montgomery, the principal investigator on the report for NERA Consulting—the group commissioned by the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation to produce the study—says, “The cost of regulation has been growing substantially faster than industry output.” NERA’s industry report calculates only the cost of regulation and does not address the benefits of cleaner air, energy efficiency and other goals of such rules. Get the full story and more report details here.