Finance & economics | Powell empowered?

Jerome Powell is poised to be named chairman of the Fed

By recent standards, Mr Powell would be an unusual pick to lead America’s central bank

Heir to the chair?
|NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON, DC

YOU could forgive Janet Yellen, the chair of the Federal Reserve, for feeling peeved. With unemployment at just 4.2%, and inflation at 1.6%, she is close to achieving the Fed’s two goals of curbing joblessness and pinning price rises at 2%. Ms Yellen is a Democrat appointed by Barack Obama in 2014. The tenures of past three Fed chairs were all extended by presidents from the other party. Yet as we went to press, President Donald Trump was expected to nominate Jerome Powell, a Republican on the Fed’s board, to replace Ms Yellen.

This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “Powell empowered?”

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