U.S. Federal Reserve raises interest rate as inflation soars
U.S. Federal Reserve raises interest rate, increasing it by three-quarters of a percentage point.
Officials aren’t giving up on their goal to defeat inflation, with the bank chief vowing to do everything he can to tackle the rising cost of living.
U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell says officials “will keep at it until the job is done”. Powell signalled there will likely be at least one more hike of this size, later this year.
The Fed raised the its target interest rate to a range of 3 – 3.25 per cent, the highest level since 2008.
Projections show the official rate reaching 4.25 – 4.5 per cent by the end of 2022, before maxing out at around 4.5 – 4.75 per cent in 2023.
“We have got to get inflation behind us,” Powell said. “I wish there were a painless way to do that. There isn’t.”
The central bank has an inflation target of 2 per cent, but it has been running at more than three times this number.
