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華盛頓——本周三，美聯(lián)儲(chǔ)(Federal Reserve)表示將自金融危機(jī)爆發(fā)以來(lái)首次提高短期利率,。就在全球其他很多地區(qū)的經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展步履維艱之際,，此舉給美國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)的強(qiáng)勁投下了信任票。
這個(gè)決定符合外界的廣泛預(yù)期,，是美聯(lián)儲(chǔ)在金融危機(jī)后采取的經(jīng)濟(jì)刺激行動(dòng)的一個(gè)里程碑,，結(jié)束了它七年來(lái)將短期利率維持在接近于零的狀態(tài)。然而,，即使基準(zhǔn)利率本次上調(diào)了0.25個(gè)百分點(diǎn),，到達(dá)0.25%至0.5%的區(qū)間，美聯(lián)儲(chǔ)也強(qiáng)調(diào),，后續(xù)的加息步伐將會(huì)相當(dāng)緩慢,。
加息決定宣布之后，美聯(lián)儲(chǔ)主席珍妮特·L·耶倫(Janet L.Yellen)在新聞發(fā)布會(huì)上表示,，這個(gè)決定“承認(rèn)了在恢復(fù)就業(yè),、增加收入、緩解困擾無(wú)數(shù)美國(guó)普通民眾的經(jīng)濟(jì)困難方面,，美國(guó)取得了相當(dāng)大的進(jìn)展,。”
未來(lái)數(shù)年，抵押貸款等各種類(lèi)型的貸款及儲(chǔ)蓄賬戶等各種類(lèi)型的投資的利率,，很可能仍將維持在歷史低位,。
耶倫在2014年初成為美聯(lián)儲(chǔ)主席，開(kāi)始加息是該機(jī)構(gòu)在她領(lǐng)導(dǎo)期間做出的最重要的,、風(fēng)險(xiǎn)最大的決定,。
自金融危機(jī)結(jié)束以來(lái)，所有加過(guò)息的其他發(fā)達(dá)國(guó)家全都被迫走上了回頭路，因?yàn)槭聦?shí)證明,，它們的經(jīng)濟(jì)狀況無(wú)法承受更高的利率,。隨著投資者拋售高收益垃圾債券，并從發(fā)展中國(guó)家的市場(chǎng)里抽走資金,，某些金融市場(chǎng)已經(jīng)出現(xiàn)了承壓跡象,。
加息決定獲得了聯(lián)邦公開(kāi)市場(chǎng)委員會(huì)(Federal Open Market Committee)中10個(gè)擁有投票權(quán)的成員的一致支持。雖然其中三名成員在近幾個(gè)月里表示了擔(dān)憂,，認(rèn)為美國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)可能還沒(méi)有為更高的利率做好準(zhǔn)備,，他們?nèi)匀毁澇闪舜舜渭酉⑴e動(dòng)。一些外部經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家同意這種擔(dān)憂,，一些民主黨人也認(rèn)為美聯(lián)儲(chǔ)此舉將過(guò)早地削弱就業(yè)和工資增長(zhǎng),。
在聲明中，美聯(lián)儲(chǔ)把就業(yè)增長(zhǎng)的力度以及緩慢但穩(wěn)定的經(jīng)濟(jì)增長(zhǎng)的大背景列為證據(jù),，證明美國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)不再需要超低借貸成本提供那么多的幫助,。
美聯(lián)儲(chǔ)官員本周三還發(fā)布了一系列預(yù)測(cè)，表示他們預(yù)計(jì)在未來(lái)三年內(nèi)將以每年一個(gè)百分點(diǎn)的速度提高利率,，至2019年時(shí)達(dá)到3.3%,。
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve said on Wednesday that it would raise short-term interest rates for the first time since the financial crisis struck, a vote of confidence in the strength of the American economy at a time when much of the rest of the global economy is struggling.
The widely anticipated decision, a milestone in the Fed’s postcrisis stimulus campaign, ends a seven-year period in which the Fed held short-term rates near zero. Even as it raises its benchmark interest rate by 0.25 percentage points, to a range of 0.25 to 0.5 percent, however, the Fed emphasized subsequent increases would come slowly.
The decision to raise rates “recognizes the considerable progress that has been made toward restoring jobs, raising incomes and easing the economic hardships that have been endured by millions of ordinary Americans,” the Fed’s chairwoman, Janet L. Yellen, said at a news conference after the decision was announced.
Interest rates on mortgages and other kinds of loans, and on savings accounts and other kinds of investments, are likely to remain low by historical standards for years to come.
Moving to raise rates is the most important and riskiest decision the Fed has made under the leadership of Ms. Yellen, the Fed’s chairwoman since early 2014.
Every other developed nation that has raised rates since the end of the financial crisis has been forced to backtrack as economic conditions proved unable to handle higher rates. There are also signs of strain in some financial markets as investors dump high-yield junk bonds and pull money from developing markets.
The decision to raise rates was supported by all 10 voting members of the Federal Open Market Committee. They agreed on the move despite concern expressed in recent months by three of those officials that the economy might not be ready for higher rates, a view shared by some outside economists and by Democrats who argue the Fed is prematurely curtailing job and wage growth.
The Fed’s announcement cited the strength of job growth, and the broader backdrop of a moderate-but-steady economic expansion, as evidence that the economy no longer needed quite as much help from ultralow borrowing costs.
Fed officials predicted in a set of forecasts also published Wednesday that they would raise interest rates by about one percentage point a year over the next three years, reaching 3.3 percent by 2019.
