2021 in the Rearview: December FOMC Recap
To understand how the Fed is interpreting its “maximum employment” mandate in the current context, it’s worth going through Chair Powell’s remarks and Q&A for the December FOMC meeting.
Alex Williams
20 postsA Credible, Broad and Inclusive Approach to Maximum Employment
Critical to the Fed successfully achieving maximum employment over the short run and the longer run is a commitment to, and a communication of, “maximum employment” that is Credible, Broad, and Inclusive.
Planes, Constraints, and Automobiles: What to Look For in a Hot December CPI Print
It is key for commentators and policymakers to bear in mind that "transitory vs. persistent" is not the same debate as "narrow vs. broad-based."
QE Magic, Used Cars, and Omicron: Tapering While Preserving Optionality
The policy mistake worth worrying about isn’t the speed of taper per se; it's the signal that taper sends about the timing of liftoff in interest rate policy.
"Real Wages" and Aggregation: A Methodological Mess
“Real wages” are often presented as a neutral measure of the ability of households to buy definite quantities of real goods after adjusting for changes in both prices and wages. In reality, "real wages" explain far less about household economic well-being than these stories confidently imply.
