Has the Fed Stifled Economic Growth?

Adam Ozimek is not happy with economic growth, and he blames the Fed:

Does It Matter That The Fed Has Been Wrong For Years?

First, let’s look at job growth. No doubt it remains strong. We’re adding about 2 million jobs a year, and so it’s easy to think that interest rate hikes have done no damage. But this is excessively dichotomous thinking. This paints job growth as either “good”, and therefore unable to improve upon, or it is “bad” and therefore able to be improved upon. Instead I’d argue growth is good but could have been better.

….It’s useful to rewind to December 2015, a little over two years ago, and when the Fed started raising interest rates.

Read the whole thing for more. I’ll get you started with a simple chart:

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LET’S TALK ABOUT OPTIMISM FOR A CHANGE

Democracy and journalism are in crisis mode—and have been for a while. So how about doing something different?

Mother Jones did. We just merged with the Center for Investigative Reporting, bringing the radio show Reveal, the documentary film team CIR Studios, and Mother Jones together as one bigger, bolder investigative journalism nonprofit.

And this is the first time we’re asking you to support the new organization we’re building. In “Less Dreading, More Doing,” we lay it all out for you: why we merged, how we’re stronger together, why we’re optimistic about the work ahead, and why we need to raise the First $500,000 in online donations by June 22.

It won’t be easy. There are many exciting new things to share with you, but spoiler: Wiggle room in our budget is not among them. We can’t afford missing these goals. We need this to be a big one. Falling flat would be utterly devastating right now.

A First $500,000 donation of $500, $50, or $5 would mean the world to us—a signal that you believe in the power of independent investigative reporting like we do. And whether you can pitch in or not, we have a free Strengthen Journalism sticker for you so you can help us spread the word and make the most of this huge moment.

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