Current:Home > StocksHow 2% became the target for inflation -NextGenWealth
How 2% became the target for inflation
View
Date:2025-04-13 07:53:25
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! (5841)
Related
- Stamford Road collision sends motorcyclist flying; driver arrested
- 'The Lincoln Lawyer' Season 2 ending unpacked: Is Lisa guilty? Who's buried by the cilantro?
- Tory Lanez sentencing in Megan Thee Stallion shooting case postponed: Live updates
- Stranger Things' Noah Schnapp Reflects on the Moment He Decided to Publicly Come Out
- The Grammy nominee you need to hear: Esperanza Spalding
- Stormy weather across northern Europe kills at least 1 person, idles ferries and delays flights
- Georgia fires football staffer who survived fatal crash, less than a month after lawsuit
- Unlimited vacation can save companies billions. But is it a bad deal for workers?
- Jamie Foxx reps say actor was hit in face by a glass at birthday dinner, needed stitches
- Swarms of birds will fly over the US soon. Explore BirdCast's new migration tool to help you prepare.
Ranking
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- $1.55 billion Mega Millions jackpot is the 3rd largest in US history
- Riley Keough Shares Where She Stands With Grandmother Priscilla Presley After Graceland Settlement
- Former Georgia lieutenant governor says he received grand jury subpoena
- California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- Georgia tops USA TODAY Sports AFCA coaches poll: Why history says it likely won't finish there
- Man fatally shoots 8-year-old Chicago girl, gunman shot in struggle over weapon, police say
- Father of missing girl Harmony Montgomery insists he didn’t kill his daughter
Recommendation
Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there
$1.55 billion Mega Millions jackpot is the 3rd largest in US history
Slovenia's flood damage could top 500 million euros, its leader says
Brazil has 1.7 million Indigenous people, near double the count from prior census, government says
Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
'Less lethal shotguns' suspended in Austin, Texas, after officers used munitions on 15-year-old girl
Rachel Morin Case: Authorities Firmly Believe They've Found Missing Woman's Body
Federal judge says California’s capital city can’t clear homeless camps during extreme heat