financetom
Economy
financetom
/
Economy
/
Fed's Goolsbee signals door open to rate cut in fall
News World Market Environment Technology Personal Finance Politics Retail Business Economy Cryptocurrency Forex Stocks Market Commodities
Fed's Goolsbee signals door open to rate cut in fall
Aug 13, 2025 2:20 PM

(Reuters) -Chicago Federal Reserve Bank President Austan Goolsbee said on Wednesday he is uneasy assuming that tariffs will not push up inflation and is unconvinced that the U.S. labor market is deteriorating.

Those premises have been cited by a few of his colleagues for supporting interest rate cuts by the U.S. central bank.

However, Goolsbee left the door wide open to aligning with them by the Fed's September 16-17 policy-setting meeting.

"All of the meetings this fall, they are going to be live meetings," with decisions based on the latest data, Goolsbee told reporters after a speech.

"I'm not implying that I can't reach a decision by meetings that are coming up, because like I say, we're going to get some good and important pieces of information that I'm going to add to the ones that we've gotten for the last three months."

If inflation is convincingly falling and the labor market is cooling, "that's not hard ... when things are cooling the Fed tries to act countercyclically," he said.

The Fed left short-term borrowing costs in the 4.25%-4.50% range at its July 29-30 meeting, drawing dissents from Vice Chair of Supervision Michelle Bowman and Governor Christopher Waller who wanted to cut rates to head off what they worried was incipient labor market weakness.

To Goolsbee, the signs are more mixed.

While monthly job gains, after recent revisions, slowed sharply in the last three months to an average of 35,000, the drop could very well reflect a decline in immigration rather than an underlying weakening in demand, he said.

Other data like the unemployment rate of 4.2% and low layoff rate suggest the labor market remains solid, he said.

Goolsbee also said he needs to see multiple months of good inflation readings to feel comfortable about a rate cut.

"I envision we're going to keep learning information and keep going on the path; the more convincing it is that we are on path to 2% inflation, the faster I think we can go to what is r-star," he added, using an economists' term for the level at which interest rates should settle when the economy is running neither too hot or cold.

"You could cut, one, in anticipation if you think you're on the path, as long as you're laying out the criteria of what you're doing ... and if we start getting information that contradicts that then we would stop cutting or go the other way: that's an entirely possible path, outcome, or whatever you want to call it," he said.

"The way I think of it is not a cliff - it's not, I'm going to reach an epiphany one day," he said, and cut rates immediately to where they are expected to settle in the long term, which Fed policymakers generally estimate is around 3%. 

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 >
Two-wheeler demand remains weak compared with last year: Icra
Two-wheeler demand remains weak compared with last year: Icra
Apr 19, 2022
According to a poll of automobile dealerships conducted by ratings agency Icra, demand for two-wheelers is weak, but demand for passenger and commercial vehicles remains strong compared to previous year. In the recent past, the automobile dealership business has faced various headwinds, including low demand for two-wheelers (2W), supply limitations restricting growth in passenger vehicle (PV) sales, and a high base effect limiting development in the tractor market.
Delhi Auto and cab drivers demand subsidy on CNG prices
Delhi Auto and cab drivers demand subsidy on CNG prices
Apr 11, 2022
With a sharp hike in CNG prices, auto, cab, and taxi drivers in Delhi staged a protest at the secretariat on Monday demanding subsidy on CNG prices. The also threatened to go on indefinite strike from April 18 if their demand is not met. The protest was held under the aegis of Delhi Auto Rickshaw Sangh.
Rising input costs, supply chain woes headwinds for Indian auto sector in 2022: MG Motor India president
Rising input costs, supply chain woes headwinds for Indian auto sector in 2022: MG Motor India president
Apr 17, 2022
According to MG Motor India President and Managing Director Rajeev Chaba, rising raw material and semiconductor prices, as well as supply chain interruptions caused by the Ukraine conflict, could create headwinds for the Indian vehicle sector this year, limiting growth. The domestic auto sector was expecting over 10 percent growth in 2022 at the start of the year, but if the current scenario persists, it could affect demand as the year goes, he said.
MG Motor India to invest Rs 4,000 crore for a second manufacturing plant
MG Motor India to invest Rs 4,000 crore for a second manufacturing plant
Apr 11, 2022
The company, which is expanding the annual production capacity of its current plant at Halol in Gujarat to 1.25 lakh units by 2023, is looking to add another 1.75 lakh units capacity from the second plant and take its overall capacity to 3 lakh units a year in the next two years.
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.financetom.com All Rights Reserved