Reducing the burdens borne by displaced workers is the right and fair thing to do. If workers are less fearful of change, less pressure will be exerted on politicians to erect trade barriers or to take other actions that would reduce the flexibility and dynamism of the U.S. economy. |
Roger made invaluable contributions to the Federal Reserve and to the country. |
So far, the actual actions taken have been relatively modest, but there is some hope, I think, that, going forward, these actions will advance further and we will see more progress in the current account. |
So far, the effects appear to be relatively modest on growth. |
Some influential voices of the time argued that by accepting higher inflation, policy-makers could bring about a permanently lower rate of unemployment. |
That said, energy prices remain a concern. |
The bottom line for policy appears ambiguous. |
The contrast between the 1970s and today is very marked, |
The credibility has begun to inure in the institution. Keeping inflation low and stable is an important precondition for a healthy and sustained economic growth. |
The destruction wrought by Katrina and Rita may reduce growth somewhat in the short run, but the longer-term growth trajectory remains in place. |
The economy is much more energy efficient today than it was in the 1970s when energy shocks contributed to share slowdowns, |
The high energy prices are certainly burdening consumer budgets, they are burdening cost structures of firms and certainly continued increases in energy prices are a risk for economic growth going forward. |
The inflation objective is explicitly a long-term or medium term objective. It focuses on, for example, core inflation to avoid getting involved in short-term fluctuations in energy prices and the like. |
The most recent evidence ... suggests that the economic expansion remains on track. |
the policies and policy strategies established during the Greenspan years. |