Chicago Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee said on Friday that he agrees with the view expressed by Fed Chair Kevin Warsh during the Jackson Hole symposium, affirming that inflation should be the top priority for monetary policymakers.
"I share the chairman's assessment that inflation has been running above target, with trends moving in the wrong direction at times. While we have seen some softer inflation data over the past few months, it is clear that we cannot yet be confident we are out of the woods."
Goolsbee added that "inflation has proven more persistent than initially anticipated." Fed officials are currently weighing whether the recent uptick in price pressures is merely a temporary bump or a more entrenched issue stemming from an overheating economy.
When asked about the number of meetings the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) should hold each year, Goolsbee indicated he holds no strong preference on the frequency.
He also noted that he does not perceive any conflict in policy objectives between the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Treasury Department.
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