Fed Gone Wacky?

Bloomberg.com had an article last week with a photo of a smiling Janet Yellen which said that the Fed was elated that the inflation rate was rising in the US. On the same day was an article “The Fed Embraces a More Diverse Future” that had several quotes from Fed officials decrying disparate effects of unemployment on minorities. Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari promised to “spend a day in the life of a struggling black family in order to better understand that experience.” The article concluded  

“While the Fed may have no direct ability to do anything about this relationship, it may be less willing to call an overall unemployment rate of 4.5 to 5 percent full employment if it coincides with a black unemployment rate of 8.5 to 9 percent.”

I wanted to know more about the explicit goals of the Fed. I found the below words at a Federal Reserve website https://www.federalreserve.gov/faqs/money_12848.htm

The Congress established the statutory objectives for monetary policy--maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates--in the Federal Reserve Act. In setting monetary policy, the Committee seeks to mitigate deviations of inflation from its longer-run goal and deviations of employment from the Committee's assessments of its maximum level. These objectives are generally complementary. However, under circumstances in which the Committee judges that the objectives are not complementary, it follows a balanced approach in promoting them, taking into account the magnitude of the deviations and the potentially different time horizons over which employment and inflation are projected to return to levels judged consistent with its mandate.

Wow. Double Wow. The Fed’s explicit job is to control inflation and employment. Yet today’s Fed officials are happy to see more inflation and are not content when they reach their goal of full employment.

Interesting is how cavalier the Fed is departing from its statutory mission. I can see it now. Hey coach I think I would be more popular if I played guard on our football team. But son, you are a quarterback. Come on coach, the linemen are cool guys and I always wanted to hang with the cool guys.

The Fed has no mission and has no ability to affect the composition of unemployment. If they drive the unemployment rate below the usual definition of full employment – they can provide some jobs for those at the lower end of the labor pool. But history shows that such jobs do not last very long. Driving unemployment so low will cause the economy to run fast enough to absorb more workers. But like any engine that runs faster than normal for a while – it will generate frictions that eventually bring it back to normal – if not requiring a new engine! History suggests also that the aftermath of such reckless driving is often the dreaded scourge stagflation wherein both inflation and unemployment rise together. At some point the Fed then has to tighten and cause a recession and even more unemployment. Thus gains are not only temporary but they end up worsening the entire economy.

As for the seemingly perverse joy over a September rise in the inflation rate, this just underscores my point. Yellen has recently been quoted as saying it would be okay for the economy to run hot for a while. I like my coffee hot but she is delusional if she thinks a hot economy is a good thing. Higher inflation and a hot economy won't accomplish anything except to raise and then dash the expectations and lives of those least able to deal with such changes. 

Unfortunately our current Fed has fallen for the liberal line that one should focus on the short-run. Despite relying on nothing more than dreams and drugs, our Fed wants to make people feel happy that it is doing something. But like many do-gooders, the Fed has neither the tools nor the mission. Just because Congress is broken it does not mean the Fed can pull a rabbit out of a hat. Unequal incomes may be a problem but like the QB who wants to be an offensive lineman, the Fed is neither qualified nor licensed to solve this problem. Mrs Yellen -- please just stick to your job description.