February 21, 2025 United States: Kugler Says Fed Has ‘Some Way’ to Go to Reach 2% Inflation Goal   Federal Reserve Governor Adriana Kugler said upside risks to inflation remain, signaling support for the central bank to hold its key policy rate steady for now. Kugler said recent inflation data show price pressures persisted in January. She

February 20, 2025 United States: US Jobless Claims Tick Up Slightly, in Line With Pre-Covid Level   Applications for US unemployment benefits were little changed last week, hovering around pre-Covid levels that indicate solid demand for workers.   Initial claims increased by 5,000 to 219,000 in the week ended Feb. 15, according to Labor Department data

February 19, 2025 United States: US Housing Starts Fall in Broad Pullback After December Surge   US housing starts slowed in January as builders pulled back on single- and multifamily home construction amid growing worries over mortgage rates and unsold homes.   New residential construction decreased 9.8% to an annualized pace of 1.37 million last

February 18, 2025 United States: Fed’s Waller Favors Pausing Rate Cuts Until Inflation Bump Fades   Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said recent economic data support keeping interest rates on hold, but if inflation behaves as it did in 2024, policymakers can get back to cutting “at some point this year.”   “If this wintertime lull in