Ep. 216: Dominique Dwor-Frecaut on Inflation Persistence, Immigration Surge and Trump Effect
May 17, 2024
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Dominique Dwor-Frecaut, Chief US economist, discusses inflation persistence, weak financial tightening transmission, recession likelihood, and more. Topics include two regime model of inflation, challenges of predicting inflation dynamics, analyzing immigration surge, legal framework, impact on economy, and potential election outcomes on fiscal policies.
Inflation stabilization linked to energy prices, signaling regime shift.
Comparison between recent and 1980s disinflation trends affecting inflation expectations.
Monetary tightening challenges in US economy due to strong balance sheets and wealth distribution.
Deep dives
Surprise at Inflation Stabilization
The podcast discusses the surprising stabilization of inflation this year, contrasting it with the sharp drop in inflation seen previously. The guest mentions being taken by surprise by the sudden halt in the inflation decline due to energy prices stabilizing. Looking back, their framework for inflation seems to have aligned with the regime view, highlighting the importance of signals like energy prices in driving overall price stability.
Differences in Disinflation Periods
A comparison between recent disinflation trends and those of the 1980s is made, emphasizing the impact of differing inflation expectations. Unlike the 1980s, the recent burst of inflation follows decades of low inflation, resulting in lower inflation expectations. This contrasts with the 1980s where high inflation expectations drove the need for extensive cost of disinflation efforts by the Fed.
Monetary Transmission Challenges
The challenges in monetary tightening transmission are explored, focusing on the impact on a service-driven economy like the US. With businesses and households holding strong balance sheets, the transmission of higher borrowing costs due to monetary tightening is expected to be slow. Factors such as the composition of business balance sheets and wealth distribution also play a role in limiting the efficacy of monetary policy.
Immigration's Impact on Economy
The podcast delves into the substantial impact of immigration on the US economy, highlighting supply and demand side effects. On the supply side, increasing labor supply has influenced sustainable employment growth and real wage dynamics. Additionally, the influx of immigrants has boosted consumption, especially in the housing market where pressure on affordable housing is observed.
Fed's Policy Outlook
The Federal Reserve's policy outlook is discussed with skepticism around the potential for rate cuts this year. The guest suggests that the Fed may revise its projections for rate cuts from three to one based on inflation trends and economic overheating signals. Market expectations of rate hikes are also mentioned, citing the need for convincing inflation movements for the Fed to consider tightening policy.
Dominique Dwor-Frecaut is the Chief US economist and macro strategist for Macro Hive and is based in Los Angeles. Before that, she worked at various hedge funds including Bridgewater. Prior to the buy side, she worked at the New York Fed, the IMF, and the World Bank. She holds a PhD in economics from the London School of Economics. This episode covers the two regime model of inflation, that financial tightening transmission is much weaker, why there is no recession, and much more.