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Powell presents Monetary Policy Report to Senate Banking Committee

On March 3, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell spoke before the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee to discuss current monetary policy and to share the Federal Reserve’s semiannual Monetary Policy Report. In his testimony, Powell started by sharing that he will “review the current economic situation” in Ukraine before adjusting monetary policy. Turning to the current economic situation and outlook, he noted that economic activity has increased at a robust five and a half percent pace over the last year, which “reflect[s] progress on vaccinations and the reopening of the economy, fiscal and monetary policy support, and the healthy financial positions of households and businesses.” He called the labor market “extremely tight,” noting that payroll employment increased by 6.7 million in 2021, and observed that “job gains were robust in January.” He also pointed to the unemployment rate decreasing substantially over the past year and standing at four percent in January, “reaching the median of Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) participants’ estimates of its longer-run normal level.” With respect to monetary policy, Powell expressed that the Fed expects “inflation to decline over the course of the year as supply constraints ease and demand moderates because of the waning effects of fiscal support and the removal of monetary policy accommodation,” and that the agency will use “policy tools as appropriate to prevent higher inflation from becoming entrenched while promoting a sustainable expansion and a strong labor market.”

Bank Regulatory Federal Issues Federal Reserve Senate Banking Committee Monetary Policy