Key Takeaways from Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren’s Aug. 12 Remarks
- Takeaway: The path of the economy will depend significantly on the course of the virus. So, limited or inconsistent efforts by states to control the virus are not only placing citizens at health risk, but are also likely to prolong the economic downturn.
Excerpt: “As long as the virus poses significant threats to public health, a full economic recovery will be very difficult as individuals, often voluntarily, avoid activities that place their health at risk. […] Indeed, the trajectory of the economic recovery will be determined more by the path of the virus than by the path of policymaking, although monetary and fiscal policy can mitigate, and have mitigated, some of the most significant adverse impacts.”
- Takeaway: Despite sizeable interventions by monetary and fiscal policymakers, the economic data indicate that the recovery may be losing steam, as activities in many states are once again restricted, officially or voluntarily, to slow the virus’s spread.
Excerpt: “The forecast for this fall is quite uncertain, but my view is that the recent slowdown in economic activity…is likely to continue. Currently, we have an unemployment rate above 10 percent, and because of the continued community spread of the virus, I am concerned that the pandemic will limit the ability of the economy to recover quickly.”
- Takeaway: States that re-opened early saw a temporary economic benefit, but that gain has been short-lived and came at a cost – including rising rates of infections, which have resulted in less spending more recently.
Excerpt: “Lifting restrictions too quickly hurt both the economy and public health down the road. In the Northeast, where restrictions were more substantial and lasted longer, states are now experiencing both better public health outcomes and more spending in sectors of the economy that are sensitive to social distancing.”
- Takeaway: While both Europe and the U.S. had significant increases in infection rates in the spring, Europe enacted more stringent and longer-term shutdowns and limits, and did not reopen until the virus had reached low levels. Their infection rates fell faster and further, and have remained relatively low, and economic activity has been more robust.
Excerpt: “In contrast, in the United States, infection rates remain elevated, as states lifted protective measures too soon and in a manner not calibrated for the true risks posed by the virus.”
- Takeaway: Credit interruptions prolong recessions and harm individuals and businesses, so it is important that the Fed stands ready, with the Main Street Lending Program, to facilitate credit flows that can bridge businesses and nonprofits of many sizes, at reasonable rates.
Excerpt: “The program is attractively structured for many facing cash-flow interruptions due to the pandemic, facilitating 5-year loans with no payment of interest in the first year and no payment of principal until the third year. It is attractive for lenders because they can meet the credit needs in their markets while retaining only 5 percent of the loan on their books, with the Federal Reserve taking a 95 percent participation interest in the loan. […] The Fed is aiming to help [entities] that … given the uncertain outlook, might otherwise have difficulty in obtaining credit from a lender that would have to hold 100 percent of the loan. The Main Street program can provide essential financing to help these entities avoid shutting their doors and permanently laying off their employees.”
- Takeaway: Some suggest that the Main Street program’s modest initial activity is evidence of failure, but Rosengren disagrees completely. The Program is one important way the Fed is doing all it can to support the businesses, nonprofits, and individuals that make up our nation’s economy.
Excerpt: “The numbers seem consistent with a gradual pace of initial activity that is more recently expanding as participants become familiar with the program parameters. […] Loans are contracts between borrowers and banks, and the negotiations for loans can take some time and effort. […] As borrowers and banks have become more familiar with the program, we have seen a steady increase in loans submitted to our portal. There are currently more than $856 million in loans active, with more than $250 million in loans committed or settled. Much of the increase has occurred recently, and I expect we will continue to see more.”
Short Synopsis
Points 1, 2, 5, and 6 address the slowdown.
Points 3 and 4 are in praise of lockdowns.
Point 6 is a self-serving”Don’t blame the Fed” call.
What? No Free Money?
The 6-point synopsis was a Boston Fed summation I posted as is. What about more free money?
From the full speech: “Clearly, continued stimulative monetary and fiscal policy are critical.”
Here is another cautionary excerpt.
Unfortunately, as long as the virus poses significant threats to public health, a full economic recovery will be very difficult as individuals, often voluntarily, avoid activities that place their health at risk. The increased saving rate, reflecting a falloff in consumption despite substantial fiscal transfers to individuals, illustrates the challenges the recovery faces.
The word “fiscal” came up 13 times. And as expected, Rosengren wants more of it.
Related Charts
Here is a link to the related Boston Fed Charts.
Personal Savings Rate
Cases and Deaths Per Million US vs. EU
There are 14 charts and figures in all.
Pleading for a Lockdown
Third Call for a Lockdown
On August 9 I noted Yet Another Fed President Supports More Free Money and a Covid Lockdown
On August 3 I noted Second Fed President Calls For More Free Money.
Current Running Score
- Three Promote Hard Lockdowns: Fed Presidents, Neel Kashkari (Minneapolis) and Charles Evans (Chicago) support hard lockdowns. Add Eric Rosengren (Boston) to the list.
- Four Promote More Free Money: Fed Presidents, Neel Kashkari (Minneapolis), Charles Evans (Chicago), and Thomas Barkin (Richmond) support more free money. Add Eric Rosengren (Boston) to the list.
Rosengren was far more subtle in his statements than the others but it is clear what he is angling for.
Heaven Help Us if Unemployment Follows the Path of the Great Recession
In regards to jobs, please see Heaven Help Us if Unemployment Follows the Path of the Great Recession.
Also note Millennials Screwed Again, This Time on Unemployment.
Mish
For the American way of life, lockdowns are totally pointless. I don’t believe most Americans have gobs of money like some of the correspondents here. Probably a Mish effect. There is going to be further job loss and bankruptcies. It will be worse than in 2008.
Death will stalk going into winter killing all the babies this time. They will shut it all down again and shut off the grid. Winter will then do the heavy lifting.
I sent this to the Federal Reserve Wednesday:
Very important that the Fed Governors calling for a new economic lock down read these two articles!
Experience From Other Countries Show Lockdowns Don’t Work
Ethan YangEthan Yang
– August 9, 2020
We Need a Principled Anti-Lockdown Movement
Jeffrey A. Tucker
– August 9, 2020
The Human Fund. Money for People.
Nothing that a few more trillion can’t cure. Fire up them printing presses.
I said it before and I will say it again: Those who are calling for more lockdowns now are only looking for political cover to do something that COVID does not require. I received a lot of push back from people on this site last time I pointed out the data does not support more lockdowns, so this time here is a chart from the CovidTrackingProject showing that hospitalizations in the US are already headed down and deaths will likely follow soon in an unambiguous way.
If the Fed Presidents want to be honest about what they are doing, then they should leave COVID lockdowns out of the discussion. What they want is to paper over a debt chasm that they contributed to, and they need the Treasury to help them do it, COVID or not. They should be ashamed that they are willing to hurt people’s livelihoods even more than has already been done just so they have an excuse to print more. Hopefully there is a special place in hell for them.
It is now clear that people do not have sense enough to look outside to see if it raining, and so carry an umbrella out the door. Politics Trumping science, they’re told it’s not rain, it’s angels perspiration, doncha know.
Sure a national lockdown doesn’t make sense when we have such a large country (after all, in China, the shut-down was localized by outbreak).
But about half the people, anywhere and everywhere think this is nothing. And so, basic, minor public health measures are scoffed at and complained about. So we now have the virus entrenched almost everywhere in this country with winter (the indoor season) approaching and doubling up with an ill-informed back to school rush.
These Fed guys have a lot more information than you or I, and I would guess that what they are seeing with their wizzards is not good. If you look to EU, they are bracing for a bad winter.
Canned goods, anyone?
But protests will still be allowed
Here’s something good related to protesting (and looting)!
August 06, 2020
Atlantic City police charge 95 in looting, rioting probe using surveillance evidence
Investigators reviewed thousands of hours of video footage recorded as protests about the death of George Floyd devolved into violence
Lockdowns are stupid. Masks allow freedom, and they work. Just do mask mandates in counties with high or accelerating cases, and of course, have rules about how to conduct certain types of “risky” business, and we should be good.
This circus with acting clowns like this one will end by dollar losing the reserve currency status. Already, China has squashed the virus while it’s spreading in the US in the best of seasons – and, it’s not due to Trump. One thing China screwed up; it tried to match the US with runaway credit, and imperial hubris.
Here’s a bold prediction – MOAR (lots MOAR) free “money” will be required.
donny and the munchkin have the checkbook out… unless you’re poor.
For added insurance the FED is petitioning Senate Banking Committee’s chairman and top Republican, Mike Crapo to lower bank’s leverage ratios, but banks see no point, implying banks have more capital than the demand to borrow. Another real life example how the FED’s “pushing on a string” cannot control financial markets.
It would be comical, if not so devastatingly sad, that so many people are so willingly hanging themselves over death rates of 0.05% in the USA, and 0.003% in Europe; AND 80% of the deaths are people over 65 years old, with the “hot spots” still being nursing homes and jails/correction facilities. Never in the history of man have healthy people been shut down.
Covid-19 is very similar to the Hong Kong Flu of 1968-9, in terms of deaths. Of us alive today, who remembers it? Yea, me neither.
link to gilderpress.com.
The captured media and authorities, like Fauci and the Fed, continue with their strategy to divide and conquer the people, by making you think the person standing next to you is carrying the Black Plague – link to armstrongeconomics.com.
Turning one group against another has always been a tactic of bankrupt govt’s when they need to whip the masses back into obedient little tax payers.
So, what is a concerned citizen to do? It starts with recognizing that Govt/Fed and their opportunists in the media and big corporations are not your friend or ally. Question EVERYTHING these self-interested goons do (which includes the captured medical community (i.e. Fauci, Redfield), who receive funding from PRIVATE entities, like Gates – link to armstrongeconomics.com
“facilitating 5-year loans with no payment of interest in the first year and no payment of principal until the third year.”
…
What a joke. Rosengren admit the truth. There is a massive debt overhang. If not, these kick the can machinations not needed.
I’ve been saying this for the past few months – once free money & forbearance / moratorium start to wane (you are HERE) the economy will slide again.
Probably the can will be kicked (politicians will want to buy votes before election) till 2021 with more free money and extensions on forbearance / moratorium. Leaving 2021 as a doozy.
Not a soul interested in addressing the real problems (low wages + too much debt).
It’s not so bad under the bus.
This is just my anecdote. As a hobby I sell low end, mid end, and high end collectibles, but mostly on the mid end. In the past I would do OK, but let’s just say that at one time I had a bunch of unsold inventory that I had been unable to move prior to Covid. This last week alone however, I moved them all, at 1.5 their old price.
People have money.
My wife saw a line to get into the Luis Vuitton store at the mall. There are definitely many Sunday Rich on the loose.
As long as people have money, the recovery won’t stall. Some sectors will be decimated, but others will thrive.
“As long as people have money, the recovery won’t stall. Some sectors will be decimated, but others will thrive.”
Not sure exactly what thrived in Zimbabwe. And if there was one thing those guys had, it was money. Not much else, though.
“People have money.” Well, some do. Those would be the people who had money before. The people who didn’t have money before (most people) have even less now, for the most part. The $600 a week allowed a few to get a little ahead, but that can’t go on forever.
Don’t worry. We have the Cali Trio: Pelosi, Newsom and Harris. What could go wrong? Heck Newsom today rebuffed the suggestion that the 600 thingy have been keeping people home instead of returning to work.