by Martin Armstrong
Armstrong Economics
Americans are preparing for a prolonged inflationary period, based on new data from the New York Fed. The New York Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Expectations found that Americans are still pessimistic about inflation waning, with no one now believing it is transitory. The median expectation is that inflation will remain at the 3% level in 2025.
The public does not anticipate inflation tapering off in a meaningful way in the years to come. The Federal Reserve is still honing in on that 2% target but the people have lost confidence in its ability to do so. Most Americans see inflation sitting at 2.9% in three years from now, up from the 2.4% estimate in January 2024. Even in five year’s time, the average consumer believes inflation will be above target at 2.6%.
The central bank believes they can meet that 2% target. Policymakers believe inflation will fall to 2.1% by 2025 before finally reaching 2% in 2026. Amid the sell off this week, Chicago Fed President Goolsbee came out and said that the central bank will simply “fix it” if the economy continues to deteriorate.