Fed Official Highlights Potential Inflation Data Distortion

According to PANews, Federal Reserve official Hamarck has indicated that the positive inflation data for November might be skewed due to data collection disruptions caused by the government shutdown in October and early November. This distortion could have led to an underestimation of the 12-month price growth. While the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a 2.7% year-over-year increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for November, adjustments for measurement difficulties suggest the figure might be closer to the generally expected 2.9% or 3.0%. Hamarck also expressed concerns about interest rate cuts, emphasizing her belief that the neutral interest rate is higher than commonly perceived. She noted that the economy has the potential to maintain robust growth into the next year. Although the neutral rate cannot be directly observed, it can be inferred from the economic conditions.