When the Federal Reserve raises interest rates, it is aiming to slow down inflationary pressures by making borrowing more expensive. Higher interest rates can discourage consumer and business spending, which can potentially slow down inflation. The Fed recently approved its 10^th interest rate increase in the fight against inflation. Below we discuss the economic impact these rate hikes have had so far.

Peaked Borrowing Costs?

The Fed recently raised interest rates by another quarter percentage point in its 14-month streak of attempting to combat stubborn inflation. The new target range of 5-5.25 percent is the highest is nearly 16 years. A majority of policymakers projected back in March that this is where borrowing costs would peak. Further rate hikes from the Fed will be contingent on incoming data pertaining to inflation and employment, as well as how much unrest among regional banks could slow the economy.

Will They or Won’t They Continue to Increase Rates?

Given the current mixture of turmoil in the banking sector, a softening job market, and slower economic growth, experts are wondering if this could be the central bank’s last rate hike for a while. In fact, the Fed may have signaled as much in their post-meeting statement for May when they deleted a key phrase about expecting “some additional policy firming” that was included in previous statements. However, if inflation and the labor market aren’t showing signs of cooling down sufficiently by the Fed’s mid-June meeting, many economists project additional rate increases despite a looming risk that rate hikes could provoke a mild recession later this year.

Are the Rate Hikes Working to Slow Inflation?

Inflation is down since last summer, but it’s still more than twice as high as the Fed’s target of 2%. In March, the “core” inflation rate, which does not include volatile food and energy prices, was 4.6%. However, recent data suggests that price increases are relaxing, and after a strong January this year, consumer spending slowed in February and March. Housing costs and medical care still remain higher. If inflation normalizes and supply chain constraints ease, market experts expect the Fed to reduce rates later this year in an effort to achieve low inflation without a recession.