Federal Reserve's Collins: Keeping interest rates unchanged for a period of time may be appropriate

Jinse Finance reported that this year's FOMC voting member, Boston Fed President Collins, stated on Wednesday that she believes the threshold for further rate cuts in the short term is "relatively high" due to concerns about persistently high inflation. Collins voted in favor of a rate cut last month. "Unless there are clear signs of significant deterioration in the labor market, I will remain cautious about further policy easing, especially given the limited inflation data available to us in the event of a government shutdown... In the current highly uncertain environment, maintaining policy rates at their current level for some time may be an appropriate approach to balance inflation and employment risks." Her remarks highlight the deep divisions within the Federal Reserve. Since the last rate cut, several Fed officials, including Collins—both voting and some non-voting members—have signaled increasing caution regarding further rate cuts. Collins believes that short-term borrowing costs are currently in a "mildly restrictive" range, while overall financial conditions still provide a tailwind for economic growth. The labor market has indeed shown signs of slowing, but downside risks have not intensified since the summer.