Search Results
Journal Article
The Effect of Higher Financing Costs on Job Openings and Online Job Postings
In this Economic Commentary, we consider whether the declines in vacancies seen in the second half of 2022 could have been driven by monetary policy tightening. We look at whether the variation in this decline across industries and states was consistent with increases in the federal funds rate. Our first strategy focuses on variation at the industry level in exposure to higher borrowing costs. Our second leverages geographic differences in the effect of monetary policy tightening on financing costs. Both strategies suggest that monetary policy is, at least in part, responsible for the recent ...
Journal Article
Monetary Policy Stance Is Tighter than Federal Funds Rate
The Federal Reserve’s use of forward guidance and balance sheet policy means that monetary policy consists of more than changing the federal funds rate target. A proxy federal funds rate that incorporates data from financial markets can help assess the broader stance of monetary policy. This proxy measure shows that, since late 2021, monetary policy has been substantially tighter than the federal funds rate indicates. Tightening financial conditions are similar to what would be expected if the funds rate had exceeded 5¼% by September 2022.
Discussion Paper
Is Monetary Policy Still Seasonal?
A 2012 Liberty Street Economics post noted that U.S. monetary policy exhibits a surprising degree of seasonal behavior: over the 1987-2008 period, the Federal Reserve was much more likely to lower interest rates (or abstain from raising rates) in the first month of each quarter than in the two subsequent months. Thirteen years later, we revisit that analysis to investigate whether the seasonal pattern in monetary policy still holds today, in the wake of a rate hiking cycle, a pandemic, a surge in inflation, and a second round of rate hikes. We find that the pattern has indeed continued; ...
Speech
Perspectives on the Economy from Susan M. Collins
Points shared while meeting stakeholders and assessing economic conditions in the Massachusetts towns of Fall River, New Bedford, Centerville, and Plymouth.
Speech
Monetary Policy Challenges in the Pandemic Recovery
President Collins shared charts with graduate students and faculty at an economics seminar at Harvard University, covering aspects of the economy she recently discussed at Wellesley College and as part of the Boston Fed’s 22nd Annual Regional & Community Bankers Conference.
Journal Article
Assessing the Costs of Rolling Over Government Debt
The US government has $21.4 trillion in outstanding Treasury debt in bills, notes, and bonds. Given the federal funds rate is up 4-5% over the past year, how expensive will it be to roll over maturing Treasury debt at these higher rates?
Speech
Bullard Discusses Labor Markets, U.S. Economy and Inflation on Wharton Business Radio
During an Oct. 21 interview on Wharton Business Radio, St. Louis Fed President Jim Bullard shared his views on various aspects of the U.S. economy and monetary policy. He said strong labor markets are giving the Fed some leeway to fight inflation. He reiterated his view that the FOMC should get to a level of the federal funds rate that puts meaningful downward pressure on inflation. Bullard also discussed GDP growth in 2022, low productivity numbers, various measures of inflation, the yield curve inversion, and the slowdown in money growth
Speech
Bullard Discusses Disinflation, Rate Increases and Economic Resilience on CNBC
During an appearance on CNBC, St. Louis Fed President Jim Bullard discussed disinflation, the federal funds rate and the resilience of the U.S. economy. To help curb inflation, Bullard said his target federal funds rate would be 5 3/8%. The target range for the rate currently is 4.5% to 4.75%.“I think we can get disinflation with a strong labor market, but we'll have to be credible in our policy and we'll have to react to the data as it comes up,” Bullard said.Bullard said the U.S. economy might be more resilient than financial markets thought six to eight weeks ago, and he expects ...
Speech
Bullard Discusses Recent Policy Rate Increase, Outlook for U.S. Economy in Fireside Chat
St. Louis Fed President Jim Bullard shared his thoughts on the Federal Open Market Committee’s latest policy rate increase and the possibility of a soft landing for the U.S. economy. He spoke during a fireside chat with Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari at an event hosted by the Economic Club of Minnesota.On May 3, the FOMC raised the target range for the federal funds rate by 25 basis points, to 5%-5.25%. Bullard said he thought the move “was a good next step for the committee.” He noted that the FOMC has done a lot in the past year or so. “But we have a lot of inflation in the ...