Canadian manufacturers are more pessimistic about the future than those in the United States, a survey suggests.

The survey done for accounting and consulting firm Grant Thornton suggested that 11% of mid-market manufacturers in Canada were very or slightly pessimistic. That compared with 4% in the United States.

The survey also suggested that 63% of respondents were very or slightly optimistic, compared with 76% in the United States.

“The changes and unpredictability in the marketplace faced by Canadian manufacturers in recent years could explain their lower degree of optimism,” said Bruce Byford, a partner with the firm focused on the manufacturing and distribution sector.

The results were part of a survey conducted for Grant Thornton in September and October last year.

The survey included 135 mid-market manufacturers in Canada and 84 in the United States. The results were considered accurate plus or minus five percentage points, 19 times out of 20.