Free Trial

Fed's Dudley: Temporary Factors Holding Down Infl 'Fading'

--Fed Will Continue to Remove Monetary Accom Gradually
--Infl to Rise, Stabilize at 2% Over Medium Term
By Jean Yung
     WASHINGTON (MNI) - Temporary factors that have held down inflation this
year are "fading" and inflation will stabilize around 2% over the medium term,
New York Federal Reserve Bank President Bill Dudley said Monday. 
     That combined with a tighter labor market calls for gradual continued
tightening from the Fed, he said. 
     "With a firmer import price trend and the fading of effects from a number
of temporary, idiosyncratic factors, I expect inflation will rise and stabilize
around the FOMC's 2 percent objective over the medium term," he said in remarks
prepared for delivery at a community college in Syracuse, N.Y. 
     "In response, the Federal Reserve will likely continue to remove monetary
policy accommodation gradually." 
     Dudley appears to have updated his view on inflation from earlier this
month, when he said it was unclear if the low midyear inflation readings were
transitory or going to be more persistent. 
     "I think the next three to six months will give us good answers to that
question," he said in a CNBC interview ahead of the Federal Open Market
Committee meeting this month. He added that inflation below 2% and easier
financial conditions allows the Fed "to be more patient." 
     On Monday, Dudley sounded upbeat about the economy, saying damage wrought
by the recent hurricanes should be "relatively short-lived" and will "actually
serve to lift economic activity" as the recovery efforts get underway. In the
near term they may make interpreting economic data releases more difficult, he
said. 
     Meanwhile, low unemployment, rising business fixed investment and consumer
spending, a softer dollar and solid growth abroad should keep overall U.S.
growth at a slightly above-trend pace, he said. Over time, this should tighten
the labor market and "support a rise in wage growth." 
     Aside from his assessment of the economic outlook, Dudley spent most of his
speech Monday discussing workforce development and the skills gap in the labor
force. A new survey by the New York Fed bank found that "all community colleges
in the state offer some workforce development programming, and partnerships with
employers are the norm," which is encouraging news, he said.  
     But people still need help in getting placed into jobs after they are
training with the right skills, especially the unemployed, Dudley said. 
     There are also "a number of social and structural factors that work against
even the best workforce development efforts," Dudley said, including lack of
access to transportation, child care and a decline in geographic mobility. 
--MNI Washington Bureau; +1 202-371-2121; email: jean.yung@marketnews.com
[TOPICS: MMUFE$,M$U$$$]

To read the full story

Close

Why MNI

MNI is the leading provider

of intelligence and analysis on the Global Fixed Income, Foreign Exchange and Energy markets. We use an innovative combination of real-time analysis, deep fundamental research and journalism to provide unique and actionable insights for traders and investors. Our "All signal, no noise" approach drives an intelligence service that is succinct and timely, which is highly regarded by our time constrained client base.

Our Head Office is in London with offices in Chicago, Washington and Beijing, as well as an on the ground presence in other major financial centres across the world.