Getting to 2%: Lessons from Disinflation Experiences

The Federal Reserve has seen much success in its fight against inflation. The headline rate over the 12 months ending in August 2023 was 3.7%; much lower than the peak of 9.1% in June 2022. Notably, inflation has come down with virtually no rise in une...

An episode of the EconoFact Chats podcast, hosted by EconoFact, titled "Getting to 2%: Lessons from Disinflation Experiences" was published on September 17, 2023 and runs 28 minutes.

September 17, 2023 ·28m · EconoFact Chats

Summary

The Federal Reserve has seen much success in its fight against inflation. The headline rate over the 12 months ending in August 2023 was 3.7%; much lower than the peak of 9.1% in June 2022. Notably, inflation has come down with virtually no rise in unemployment. But it remains higher than the Fed's 2% target. Will reducing inflation by another 1.7 percentage points prove as costless to output and employment? What lessons can the Fed draw from moderate disinflationary episodes in other countries? Peter Blair Henry joins EconoFact Chats to discuss his findings on these issues, drawing on a recent Foreign Affairs article co-authored with Anusha Chari (University of North Carolina). Peter is a Senior Fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution, and Dean Emeritus of New York University's Stern School of Business.

Episode Description