It is a pleasure to welcome you all to the Dallas Fed and to thank you for sharing your perspectives with us. The insights you share help me form my assessment of our region’s economy and shape my overall outlook. The U.S. economy is at a key moment for monetary policy. More than four years after the postpandemic inflation surge began, inflation remains above the 2 percent target set by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). At the same time, payroll job growth slowed markedly this year. Against this backdrop, the FOMC recently voted to cut interest rates for the first time in nine months, and FOMC participants’ ... (full story)