financetom
Economy
financetom
/
Economy
/
Fed's Goolsbee: Current rate policy too tight for economy
News World Market Environment Technology Personal Finance Politics Retail Business Economy Cryptocurrency Forex Stocks Market Commodities
Fed's Goolsbee: Current rate policy too tight for economy
Aug 29, 2024 8:40 AM

(Reuters) - Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Austan Goolsbee said Friday that while he's not ready to explicitly call for a central bank rate cut, monetary policy is quite tight and is no longer aligned with current economic conditions. 

"I usually don't like saying, tying our hands before a meeting, but I've been saying for some time, if you take the level of tightness" now seen in the Fed's interest rate target, "you only want to be that tight on purpose if you're trying to cool an overheating economy, and this is not overheating," Goolsbee said in a CNBC interview. 

Goolsbee spoke on the television network after a speech earlier in the day from Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, who clearly signaled the time of Fed rate cuts is fast arriving amid falling inflation pressures and rising risks to the job market.

Financial markets broadly expect a quarter percentage point cut in what is now a 5.25% to 5.5% federal funds rate next month, and some believe it could be half percentage point move if August job data, to be released in early September, shows unexpected levels of weakness.

As Goolsbee hinted he's likely down for rate cuts, he also noted "by almost all measures, the job market is cooling" as inflation continues to move back to 2%, a level he believes is achievable. Goolsbee also said there are "warning lights" in parts of the jobs market. 

(This story has been refiled to fix a typo in paragraph 4)

Comments
Welcome to financetom comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Related Articles >
Powell has used Jackson Hole to battle inflation and buoy jobs; he's now caught between both
Powell has used Jackson Hole to battle inflation and buoy jobs; he's now caught between both
Aug 17, 2025
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Fed Chair Jerome Powell used the central bank's annual Wyoming research conference to promise inflation-fighting rigor when it was needed in 2022, then last year he came to the defense of the job market with promises of lower interest rates when the unemployment rate seemed on a steady rise. In his valedictory speech to the conference before his...
Fed's Daly: Two rate cuts, more or less, appropriate this year
Fed's Daly: Two rate cuts, more or less, appropriate this year
Aug 15, 2025
(Reuters) -San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President Mary Daly, in an interview following economic reports showing stronger-than-expected retail sales and an unexpected jump in wholesale prices last month, signaled that she is still on board for beginning to ease policy as soon as next month. A softening labor market, an economy that's slowing but not slow, as weighed against inflation...
Bitcoin Climbs On Fed Rate Cut Hopes, Matt Gaetz Buys 'Digital Penguins,' Analyst Calls XRP 'Ideal' Entry — Weekly Crypto Recap
Bitcoin Climbs On Fed Rate Cut Hopes, Matt Gaetz Buys 'Digital Penguins,' Analyst Calls XRP 'Ideal' Entry — Weekly Crypto Recap
Aug 17, 2025
The past week in the crypto world was a mixed bag of events. Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) saw a rise following the Federal Reserve Governor’s dovish comments on rate cuts, while altcoins pulled back. Meanwhile, former U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz made headlines with his purchase of Pudgy Penguins token and an economist issued a stern warning about a potential crypto crash....
Foreign holdings of US Treasuries climb to record $9.13 trillion in June
Foreign holdings of US Treasuries climb to record $9.13 trillion in June
Aug 15, 2025
NEW YORK (Reuters) -Foreign holdings of U.S. Treasuries rose to record levels in June, topping $9 trillion for a fourth straight month, data from the Treasury Department showed on Friday. Holdings of U.S. Treasuries climbed to $9.13 trillion in June, up from $9.05 trillion in May. Compared with a year earlier, Treasuries owned by foreigners were up nearly $1 trillion,...
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.financetom.com All Rights Reserved