Explore United States of America's latest macroeconomic trends and forecasts to inform business strategy and pinpoint opportunities and risks

Fed Officials Call for More Rate Hikes to Control Inflation

  • The US Federal Reserve is increasing its key interest rate to control inflation
  • The consumer price inflation in the US reached 8.3% in August 2022
  • Bank interest rate in the US increased from 2.3% in August 2022 to 3% in September 2022

Why did Fed Officials Increase Interest Rates?

The US Federal Reserve will have to keep increasing its benchmark interest rate to a point that raises unemployment and brings inflation down from unusually high levels. The Federal Reserve interest rate or federal funds rate is 3% to 3.25% as of September 2022. This is the third consecutive rate hike of 0.75% and the fifth rate hike in 2022.

According to the Federal Reserve, the total interest rate increased since the start of the year is approximately 3%. It is also one of the largest increases in decades as the Fed focuses on fighting inflation levels that are at a 40-year high. In June 2022, US inflation reached a peak of 9.1%, and even with the increase in interest rate, inflation only dropped to 8.3% in August. Inflation in the US is still sticky, and some prices are expected to keep growing, which is against uncontrolled price increases.

Overview of the US Bank Interest Rate

The Federal Reserve raised its key interest rate by 0.75 percentage points in September, raising borrowing costs for Americans. Despite economic difficulties such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing supply chain issues, the Fed’s short-term rate would have to be higher for a longer duration than initially anticipated.

In an effort to control the spiraling prices in the largest economy in the world, the Federal Reserve effected a large hike in interest rates. Since March 2022, the bank increased borrowing prices to cool the economy and reduce price inflation. This will be challenging for many people because it raises the cost of borrowing. Increasing interest rates will reduce the probability of high inflation continuing for an extended period, which would cause households more difficulty over an extended period.

 

Explore United States of America's latest macroeconomic trends and forecasts to inform business strategy and pinpoint opportunities and risks Explore United States of America's latest macroeconomic trends and forecasts to inform business strategy and pinpoint opportunities and risks Visit Report Store
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