Fed Officials Turn Focus to Rate Debate, Eye on Jobs, Inflation

Fed Officials Turn Focus to Rate Debate, Eye on Jobs, Inflation
The Federal Reserve building is set against a blue sky in Washington on May 1, 2020. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters File Photo
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WASHINGTON—U.S. Federal Reserve officials on Monday turned their focus toward a debate over monetary policy that will heat up in coming months as the Fed slows the pace of its asset purchases, clearing the decks for interest rate hikes as soon as next year.

At the center of the debate will be an assessment of how many more jobs the economy can add, and how much longer high inflation can be tolerated, given that the rate of price increases is already pushing beyond comfortable levels.