Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the Federal Reserve, gave a speech at the
National Press Club today. Text from the Q&A session can be found at
Reuters or
Business Insider.
I found the full speech video at CSPAN.org.
Chairman Ben S. Bernanke
At the National Press Club, Washington, D.C.
February 3, 2011
The Economic Outlook and Macroeconomic Policy
Good afternoon. I am pleased to be here at the National Press Club, and I'm especially glad for the opportunity to have a conversation with journalists who write about economic policy from our nation's capital. Your job is not easy, but it is essential. Virtually every American is affected by developments in the economy and in economic policy. But contemporary economic issues can be highly complex, and few nonspecialists have the time or the background to master these issues on their own. The public must therefore rely on the diligent reporting, clear thinking, and lucid writing of reporters determined to go beyond dueling bumper stickers and sound bites to help people understand what they need to make good decisions, both in their personal finances and at the polls. These are weighty responsibilities, and the journalists I know take them very seriously.
Today, I will provide a brief update on the economy and how I expect it to evolve in the near term. Then I will turn to the implications for monetary policy. Finally, I will briefly discuss the daunting fiscal challenges that we face as a nation.
The Economic Outlook
The economic recovery that began in the middle of 2009 appears to have strengthened in recent months, although, to date, growth has not been fast enough to bring about a significant improvement in the job market. The early phase of the recovery, in the second half of 2009 and in early 2010, was largely attributable to the stabilization of the financial system, the effects of expansionary monetary and fiscal policies, and a strong boost to production from businesses rebuilding their depleted inventories. But economic growth slowed significantly last spring as the impetus from inventory building and fiscal stimulus diminished and as Europe's debt problems roiled global financial markets.
