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发帖数: 61690 | 1 Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said Friday that the bank would likely
raise interest rates this month barring unexpected economic turmoil.
Yellen said during a speech in Chicago that the Federal Open Market
Committee (FOMC) would likely hike rates if employment and inflation
continue to move toward the Fed’s optimal goals.
“At our meeting later this month, the committee will evaluate whether
employment and inflation are continuing to evolve in line with our
expectations, in which case a further adjustment of the federal funds rate
would likely be appropriate,” said Yellen.
The FOMC, which forms Fed policy, will meet March 14 and 15.
Interest rates are near historic lows, set to encourage investment and boost
economic growth, and Fed officials have hinted toward hikes throughout 2016
and the beginning of this year.
With unemployment at 4.8 percent and inflation near the Fed’s ideal of 2
percent, that likely gives Fed officials the room to raise rates, bringing
them closer to historical averages. While economic growth is lower than
historic averages, Fed officials warned that keeping rates low limits their
ability to respond to economic crises. |
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