Jan Hatzius on the Narrow Path to Avoid a Hard Landing
Aug 8, 2022
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Jan Hatzius, Chief Economist at Goldman Sachs, delves into the precarious balance between controlling inflation and avoiding a hard landing for the U.S. economy. He discusses the intricate labor market dynamics and their impact on inflation, noting how unexpected factors have complicated predictions. Hatzius highlights the challenges faced by the Federal Reserve and questions the reliability of current economic indicators. His insights reveal why many economists missed the mark in forecasting inflation trends over the past year.
The multi-trillion dollar question for the US economy is “Can inflation drop to the Federal Reserve’s target without a substantial jump in the unemployment rate?” Everything is riding on this, as it informs the trajectory for the Fed and for growth in the near future. On this episode of the podcast, we pose that question to Jan Hatzius, Chief Economist at Goldman Sachs. We discuss what it will take to bring the unemployment rate down, why it's going to be difficult to avoid a hard landing and also why so many economists both inside and outside of the Federal Reserve got the inflation trajectory wrong over the last year.