Labrador Economics

Good afternoon. Thank you for the invitation to speak to you. I am delighted to have the opportunity to address this distinguished group of macroeconomic forecasters. Today I will discuss how I approach monetary policy decisionmaking, and I will then describe some of the challenges we will likely face in the years ahead. Before turning to the main topic of my remarks, I would like to provide some context about my background and how that shapes my approach to my role as a policymaker. After serving for nearly seven years on the Board of Governors, earlier this year, the President appointed me as the Federal Reserve's Vice Chair for Supervision. My role as a financial regulator and my previous experience as a state bank regulator and community banker in Kansas give me a unique perspective on how to approach my responsibilities as a monetary policymaker. This experience informs how I think about economic conditions and the balance of risks to economic activity, the labor market, and inflation in assessing the appropriate stance and direction of policy. As you know, the Federal Reserve conducts monetary policy to support a strong and stable economy that works for all Americans. In doing so, the Federal Open Market Co Fed's Bowman warns against rigid data dependence, risks falling behind the curve Fed's Bowman: I see slower population growth and an ageing population as more prominent factors in pulling down neutral rate. FED's Bowman Says Recent Data Shows a Much Weaker Labor Market and Inflation Slightly Above Target, Urging the FOMC to Take Strong and Proactive Steps to Tackle Labor Market Weakness and Rising Fragility BOWMAN SAYS SHIFT IS PROPER AS INFLATION IS EXPECTED TO DROP SIGNIFICANTLY NEXT YEAR || INFLATION LIKELY TO RETURN TO 2% AFTER ONE-TIME TARIFF ADJUSTMENT

WHITE HOUSE: LATEST PHARMACEUTICALS TARIFFS DON'T APPLY TO COUNTRIES WITH NEGOTIATED TRADE DEALS

Fed's Bowman: I prefer a gradual approach to rate changes. FED'S BOWMAN: WITHIN RANGE ON INFLATION FED'S BOWMAN: NEUTRAL RATE IS HIGHER NOW THAN WHERE IT WAS BEFORE THE PANDEMIC Fed's Bowman: I see the neutral interest rate at a median estimate of 3%.