美联储周三维持利率不变，因为经济面临长达一个月的飙升通货膨胀在中期选举之前。
美联储的基准利率目前在3．75%至4%之间。这一水平标志着从2023年达到的最近峰值大幅下降，但利率仍远高于新冠肺炎疫情开始时确立的0%水平。
今年物价加速上涨，给负责抑制通胀的美联储官员带来了挑战。中央银行上个月将利率提高了0．25个百分点，以应对价格困境。此举标志着三年来首次加息。
加息应该有助于通过放缓经济和侵蚀需求来冷却通胀，尽管这种政策举措通常会在持续数月的滞后期后产生效果。
数据显示，9月份价格同比上涨3．7%，通胀率比美联储2%的目标水平高出一个多百分点。
美联储主席凯文·沃什（Kevin Warsh）周三在华盛顿特区的新闻发布会上表示，政策制定者选择维持利率不变，因为他们正在等待进一步的经济数据。
“委员会认为，更多信息的积累将有助于它确定适当的政策立场，以确保通胀率及时回到2%的目标，”沃什说。
沃什对美国经济表现表示乐观，尽管他承认通胀上升带来的挑战。
“经济活动正以强劲的步伐扩张。虽然部分由于地缘政治的发展，不确定性仍然存在，但国内支出一直很有弹性，”Warsh说。
政策制定者可能会失去耐心，因为他们要权衡当前的利率水平是否足以缓解物价上涨。的数据显示，美联储在12月份的下一次会议上加息25个基点的可能性接近80%芝加哥商业交易所集团的FedWatch工具，衡量市场情绪的指标。
与此同时，价格上涨正在加速。据报道，由于中东地区的动荡，燃料价格攀升，9月份的通货膨胀率升至四个月来的最高点美国劳工统计局（BLS）。
通胀的上升可能会给美联储带来压力，迫使其提高利率，以加大打击物价上涨的力度。这一政策将意味着加大经济刹车力度——冒着增长缓慢和裁员的风险。
Warsh还宣布，美联储计划在2027年仅发布7项利率决定，而今年为8项。
沃什表示，美联储计划在2028年将利率决定的数量减少到6个。
“正确的政策包括及时、定期和信息丰富地评估近期发展。但同样重要的是，我们作为一个智力多元化的群体，要为战略考虑留出时间和空间，”他补充道。
本月疲软的就业报告使经济形势变得复杂，表明弹性劳动力市场的波动可能比之前想象的更大。
雇主增加BLS表示，9月份增加了29，000个工作岗位，较8月份增加的162，000个工作岗位大幅放缓。就业增长远低于经济学家的预期。
美国银行全球研究公司（Bernstein Global Research）上周在给客户的一份备忘录中表示，经济状况给美联储带来了困惑。
“如果美联储加息，投资者可能会担心过度收紧。备忘录称：“如果美联储坚持下去，市场可能会质疑美联储抗击通胀的可信度。”。
利率决定还可能在选举日的最后冲刺阶段将央行推入政治漩涡。
唐纳德·特朗普总统一再重申批评美联储在两个任期内都提高了利率，包括在上个月加息后不久对美联储的谴责。
＂降低美国的利率，而且要快！＂特朗普在宣布后几个小时在社交媒体上说。
美联储是由国会设立的独立机构。央行通常不受政治干预，但几位过去的总统都试图影响美联储的利率政策，包括特朗普。
利率决定也可能引起人们对通货膨胀挑战的关注，这是选民的首要问题。
德意志银行研究部（Deutsche Bank Research）在利率宣布前给客户的一份备忘录中表示，即将到来的中期选举可能会影响维持利率稳定的潜在决定，尽管在他们看来，选举不会是“首要考虑因素”。
“我们可以想象，在其他条件相同的情况下，美联储可能更愿意在中期选举之前加息，因为负担能力是主要关注的问题，”备忘录说。
Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady as midterm elections loom
The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday as the economy faces a monthslong surge ofinflationahead of the midterm elections．
The Fed＇s benchmark interest rate currently stands between 3．75% and 4%． That level marks a significant drop from a recent peak attained in 2023， but rates stand well above a 0% level established at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic．
An acceleration of price increases this year has posed a challenge for Fed officials tasked with containing inflation． The central bank raised interest rates a quarter of a percentage point last month in an effort to battle back price woes． The move marked the first rate increase in three years．
That rate hike should help cool off inflation by slowing the economy and eating away at demand， though such a policy move typically yields results after a lag time lasting several months．
Prices increased 3．7% in September compared to a year earlier， putting the inflation rate more than a percentage point above the Fed＇s target level of 2%， data showed．
Speaking at a press conference in Washington， D．C．， on Wednesday， Fed Chair Kevin Warsh said policymakers had opted to leave rates unchanged as they await further economic data．
＂The committee believes the accumulation of more information will help it determine the policy stance appropriate to ensure a timely return of inflation to the 2% goal，＂ Warsh said．
Warsh voiced optimism about U．S． economic performance， even as he acknowledged the challenge posed by elevated inflation．
＂Economic activity is expanding at a strong pace． While uncertainty remains， owing in part to geopolitical developments， domestic spending has been resilient，＂ Warsh said．
Policymakers may lose patience as they weigh whether the current level of interest rates is high enough to ease price hikes． The odds of a quarter-point rate hike at the Fed＇s next meeting in December are pegged at nearly 80%， according toCME Group＇s FedWatch Tool， a measure of market sentiment．
In the meantime， price increases are accelerating． Inflation rose to a four-month high in September as fuel prices climbed in response to unrest in the Middle East， according to theU．S． Bureau of Labor Statistics（BLS）．
The rise of inflation may put pressure on the Fed to ratchet up interest rates in an escalation of its fight against price hikes． That policy would mean pressing the brakes harder on the economy -- risking sluggish growth and job cuts．
Warsh also announced plans for the Fed to issue just seven rate decisions in 2027 compared to eight this year．
In 2028， the Fed plans to reduce the number of rate decisions to six， Warsh said．
＂Getting policy right involves assessing near-term developments at timely， regular and information-rich intervals． But it’s equally important we reserve time and space as an intellectually diverse group for strategic deliberations，＂ he added．
A weak jobs report this month complicated the economic picture， suggesting a resilient labor market may be wobbling more than previously thought．
Employersadded29，000 jobs in September， a sharp slowdown from the 162，000 jobs added in August， the BLS said． The job gains came in well below economists＇ expectations．
Economic conditions pose a quandary for the Fed， Bank of America Global Research said in a memo to clients last week．
＂If the Fed hikes， investors might worry about overtightening． If the Fed holds， markets could question the Fed＇s inflation-fighting credibility，＂ the memo said．
The rate decision may also thrust the central bank into a political maelstrom in the final sprint to Election Day．
President Donald Trump has repeatedlycriticizedthe Fed for raising interest rates over across both terms in office， including a reprimand leveled at the Fed soon after its rate increase last month．
＂LOWER THE INTEREST RATES FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA， AND FAST！＂ Trump said in a social media post hours after the announcement．
The Fed is an independent institution established by Congress． The central bank is typically insulated from political interference， but several past presidents have sought to influence the Fed’s interest rate policy， including Trump．
The rate decision may also draw attention to the challenge posed by inflation， a top issue among voters．
In a memo to clients before the rate announcement， Deutsche Bank Research said the upcoming midterms could factor into a potential decision to hold interest rates steady， though in their view the election would not be a ＂primary consideration．＂
＂We could imagine that all else equal the Fed might prefer to stay out of the headlines for raising rates just ahead of a midterm election where affordability is the principal concern，＂ the memo said．
