Current:Home > FinanceHow 2% became the target for inflation -ProfitLogic
How 2% became the target for inflation
Ethermac Exchange View
Date:2025-04-06 10:15:16
If the Fed had a mantra to go along with its mandate, it might well be "two percent." That number, the Fed's longtime inflation target, has been adopted by many other central banks around the world. Jerome Powell said it 17 times in a press conference last week. It's become almost synonymous with smooth, healthy economic growth.
But how did two percent become the Fed's target? For an organization staffed with mathematicians and economists, the answer is surprisingly unsophisticated. Join us to hear about the history behind the number, and why some economists are calling for a change.
Music by Drop Electric. Find us: Twitter / Facebook / Newsletter.
Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, PocketCasts and NPR One.
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
veryGood! (5)
Related
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- Moose attacks man walking dogs in Colorado: She was doing her job as a mom
- How abortion ban has impacted Mississippi one year after Roe v. Wade was overturned
- U.S. Coast Guard search for American Ryan Proulx suspended after he went missing near Bahamas shipwreck
- Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
- New Tar Sands Oil Pipeline Isn’t Worth the Risks, Minnesota Officials Say
- San Francisco, Oakland Sue Oil Giants Over Climate Change
- Renewable Energy Standards Target of Multi-Pronged Attack
- The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
- Panel at National Press Club Discusses Clean Break
Ranking
- SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
- Knoxville has only one Black-owned radio station. The FCC is threatening its license.
- Kate Spade 24-Hour Flash Deal: Get This $280 Crossbody Bag for Just $62
- Michelle Obama launches a food company aimed at healthier choices for kids
- South Korea's acting president moves to reassure allies, calm markets after Yoon impeachment
- Biden refers to China's Xi as a dictator during fundraiser
- We need to talk about teens, social media and mental health
- Key takeaways from Hunter Biden's guilty plea deal on federal tax, gun charges
Recommendation
Chuck Scarborough signs off: Hoda Kotb, Al Roker tribute legendary New York anchor
Why LeBron James Is Considering Retiring From the NBA After 20 Seasons
Search for missing Titanic sub yields noises for a 2nd day, U.S. Coast Guard says
Two doctors struck by tragedy in Sudan: One dead, one fleeing for his life
New Mexico governor seeks funding to recycle fracking water, expand preschool, treat mental health
Why millions of kids aren't getting their routine vaccinations
Do you freeze up in front of your doctor? Here's how to talk to your physician
Diversity in medicine can save lives. Here's why there aren't more doctors of color