Fed Vice Chair Richard Clarida said the US economy begins 2020 “in a good place”. PCE price inflation is “running somewhat below” the 2% target. But Fed projects that inflation will “rise gradually” back to the 2% symmetric objective. Meanwhile, there is no evidence that a strong labor market is “putting excessive cost-push pressure on price inflation”.
Over the course of 2019, FOMC shifted the monetary stance to “offset some significant global growth headwinds and global disinflationary pressures.” Such shift was “well timed” and has helped keep the outlook on track. ” As long as incoming information about the economy remains broadly consistent with this outlook, the current stance of monetary policy likely will remain appropriate.”
Monetary policy is “not on a preset course”, he added. “if developments emerge that, in the future, trigger a material reassessment of our outlook, we will respond accordingly.
