Fed's Waller favors 25-basis-point rate cut in October amid job market worries

Core Viewpoint - Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller supports another interest rate cut at the upcoming policy meeting due to mixed signals from the job market [1][2] Labor Market Analysis - Waller believes the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) should reduce the policy rate by 25 basis points at the meeting concluding on October 29, based on labor market data [2] - He noted a weakening demand in the labor market, despite lower net immigration and a decline in labor force participation this year [4] - The current labor market shows low hiring and firing rates, which Waller describes as "ominous" [4][6] Future Rate Cuts - Waller indicated that if the labor market continues to soften and inflation remains controlled, the FOMC should consider reducing the policy rate to a neutral level, estimated to be 100 to 125 basis points lower than the current range of 4.00%-4.25% [5][7] - The anticipated policy rate would then be in the range of 2.75%-3.00% [5] Economic Context - The upcoming FOMC meeting is set against a backdrop of limited data availability due to the U.S. government shutdown, which complicates the assessment of the job market [4][7] - Waller emphasized that the Fed's focus remains on the job market while inflation pressures are expected to align with the Fed's 2% target [3]