연준 “고용시장ㆍ물가상승 확신 후 금리인상…美 경제 2분기에는 반등할 것”-FOMC 성명 전문

미국 연방준비제도(Fed, 연준)는 29일(현지시간) 이틀간의 연방공개시장위원회(FOMC)를 마치고 경제지표에 대한 확실한 확신 후 금리인상을 추진하겠다고 밝혔다.

이날 연준은 FOMC 정례회의 직후 발표된 성명서를 통해 고용개선과 물가상승에 대한 확실한 확신 후 금리인상을 추진할 것이라고 전했다. 연준은 “고용시장이 개선되고 물가상승률(인플레이션) 목표치 2%에 가까워지고 있다는 확신을 확인하고 나서 금리인상을 시행할 것”이라고 전했다. 이어 현재의 기준 금리 0~0.25%를 유지한다고 덧붙였고 정확한 금리인상 시기에 대해서는 언급하지 않았다.

다만, 연준은 “올 1분기에는 경제 성장 둔화가 지속되겠으나 이는 일시적인 요인”이라며 “현재 경기가 적정한 속도로 성장하고 있어 2분기에는 반등할 것으로 보인다”고 설명했다. 이에 오는 6월 금리인상에 대한 가능성을 열어뒀다.

다음은 FOMC 성명 전문이다.

- Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in March suggests that economic growth slowed during the winter months, in part reflecting transitory factors. The pace of job gains moderated, and the unemployment rate remained steady. A range of labor market indicators suggests that underutilization of labor resources was little changed. Growth in household spending declined; households' real incomes rose strongly, partly reflecting earlier declines in energy prices, and consumer sentiment remains high. Business fixed investment softened, the recovery in the housing sector remained slow, and exports declined. Inflation continued to run below the Committee's longer-run objective, partly reflecting earlier declines in energy prices and decreasing prices of non-energy imports. Market-based measures of inflation compensation remain low; survey-based measures of longer-term inflation expectations have remained stable.

Consistent with its statutory mandate, the Committee seeks to foster maximum employment and price stability. Although growth in output and employment slowed during the first quarter, the Committee continues to expect that, with appropriate policy accommodation, economic activity will expand at a moderate pace, with labor market indicators continuing to move toward levels the Committee judges consistent with its dual mandate. The Committee continues to see the risks to the outlook for economic activity and the labor market as nearly balanced. Inflation is anticipated to remain near its recent low level in the near term, but the Committee expects inflation to rise gradually toward 2 percent over the medium term as the labor market improves further and the transitory effects of declines in energy and import prices dissipate. The Committee continues to monitor inflation developments closely.

To support continued progress toward maximum employment and price stability, the Committee today reaffirmed its view that the current 0 to 1/4 percent target range for the federal funds rate remains appropriate. In determining how long to maintain this target range, the Committee will assess progress--both realized and expected--toward its objectives of maximum employment and 2 percent inflation. This assessment will take into account a wide range of information, including measures of labor market conditions, indicators of inflation pressures and inflation expectations, and readings on financial and international developments. The Committee anticipates that it will be appropriate to raise the target range for the federal funds rate when it has seen further improvement in the labor market and is reasonably confident that inflation will move back to its 2 percent objective over the medium term.

The Committee is maintaining its existing policy of reinvesting principal payments from its holdings of agency debt and agency mortgage-backed securities in agency mortgage-backed securities and of rolling over maturing Treasury securities at auction. This policy, by keeping the Committee's holdings of longer-term securities at sizable levels, should help maintain accommodative financial conditions.

When the Committee decides to begin to remove policy accommodation, it will take a balanced approach consistent with its longer-run goals of maximum employment and inflation of 2 percent. The Committee currently anticipates that, even after employment and inflation are near mandate-consistent levels, economic conditions may, for some time, warrant keeping the target federal funds rate below levels the Committee views as normal in the longer run.?

Voting for the FOMC monetary policy action were: Janet L. Yellen, Chair; William C. Dudley, Vice Chairman; Lael Brainard; Charles L. Evans; Stanley Fischer; Jeffrey M. Lacker; Dennis P. Lockhart; Jerome H. Powell; Daniel K. Tarullo; and John C. Williams.