Comments from the Atlanta Fed leader on Bloomberg TV

  • Over three-years we can be back on a robust path
  • Comfortable above 2% inflation but will look more at the trajectory than the level
  • Fed was closer than many appreciate to reaching its 2% goal before the pandemic
  • Impacts of pandemic are making it difficult to see what's going on with inflation
  • Can see 3.5% or 3.75% unemployment in the long term
  • Sees long-term growth at 2%
  • Will wait for evidence of overheating before taking action
  • Definitely seeing signs of the economy slowing

A slowing economy isn't a surprise. Q3 growth will be an all-time record and it's a guarantee that it will slow from that. How quickly it slows and what the terminal rate of growth is a bigger question. The Fed is looking for 4.0% growth in 2021 after a 3.7% contraction this year.