U.S. Fed official expects slower rate hike in 2018

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco President John Williams said on Wednesday that he expected the central bank would continue to raise interest rates slowly in 2018.

"As long as the data continue to show steady growth and we see the uptick in inflation that we' re expecting, my own view is that we should continue to raise interest rates slowly over the coming year," said Williams in remarks at the 54th Annual Economic Forecast Luncheon in Phoenix, Arizona.

According to local media report, he told reporters that he expected four rate hikes from now through the end of next year, which is in line with the quarterly economic forecast released by the Fed in September. The forecast showed that Fed officials expected one rate hike in December and three more in next year.

He warned that keeping interest rates low could undermine the sustainability of economic expansion and create conditions that could lead to a recession.

According to his forecast, the U.S. economy is expected to grow 2.5 percent this year, and then slow down toward its trend pace over the next few years.

He expected the job market will continue strong growth momentum, with the unemployment rate to fall to 3.75 percent in 2018. Currently, the U.S. unemployment rate stood at 4.1 percent, already 17-year low.

In regard to recent low inflation, Williams said that the recent price drops in pharmaceuticals, airline tickets, cell phones and education have hold down the inflation. He expected the inflation will rise in 2018 with the continued economic expansion. Enditem