By Jessica Coacci
Boston Fed President Susan Collins reiterated her view that the central bank should maintain rates at their current, mildly restrictive levels, for some time.
"I do not see an urgency for additional policy adjustments, and I will be looking for clear evidence that inflation is moving durably toward the 2 percent target, something that might occur only over the second half of the year," according to a published text of her remarks from an event in Springfield, Mass.
Collins said on Friday that although considerable economic uncertainty remains--exacerbated by the recent conflict in the Middle East--her baseline outlook is fairly benign, with continued solid economic growth, relatively balanced labor market conditions, and disinflation resuming later this year as tariff effects fade. Collins is not a voting member of the Federal Open Market Committee this year.
Her comments come after the Labor Department said earlier in the day the U.S. lost 92,000 jobs in February, a sign that the job market continues to struggle across a broad range of sectors. At the same time, inflation concerns have picked up among economists and investors due to a sharp increase in oil prices.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
03-06-26 1358ET
