Current:Home > InvestHow 2% became the target for inflation -Infinite Edge Learning
How 2% became the target for inflation
Charles Langston View
Date:2025-04-07 05:30:08
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! (4)
Related
- Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
- Princeton student who stormed Capitol is sentenced to 2 months behind bars
- European privacy officials widen ban on Meta’s behavioral advertising to most of Europe
- Kendall Jenner's Wonder Woman Halloween Costume Gets the Ultimate Stamp of Approval From Lynda Carter
- A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
- Alabama court says state can execute inmate with nitrogen gas
- Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top announce 2024 tour with stops in 36 cities: See the list
- Former Memphis officer charged in Tyre Nichols death to change plea in federal court
- Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
- Maine considers closing loophole that allows foreign government spending on referendums
Ranking
- Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
- When Kim Kardashian's nipple bra dropped, some people laughed. Breast cancer patients rejoiced.
- Hawaii couple who gained attention for posing in KGB uniforms convicted of stealing identities of dead babies
- King Charles III acknowledges 'unjustifiable acts of violence' against Kenyans during Commonwealth visit
- Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
- Defamation lawsuit vs. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones dismissed
- See Maddie Ziegler and Dance Moms Stars Reunite to Celebrate Paige Hyland's Birthday
- Why was Maine shooter allowed to have guns? Questions swirl in wake of massacre
Recommendation
Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
Florida attorney general, against criticism, seeks to keep abortion rights amendment off 2024 ballot
Céline Dion Enjoys Rare Public Outing With Her Sons Amid Health Battle
'I want the same treatment': TikToker's Atlanta restaurant reviews strike chord nationwide
Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
Supreme Court appears skeptical of allowing Trump Too Small trademark
As Sam Bankman-Fried trial reaches closing arguments, jurors must assess a spectacle of hubris
Defamation lawsuit vs. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones dismissed