美联储或将渐进式加息

 　　WASHINGTON, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The Federal Reserve signaled that it was on track to move the benchmark interest rate this year despite the lower-than-expected economic outlook.

　　In its quarterly economic projections², 15 out of the 17 Fed board members and Fed bank presidents expected the appropriate timing³ for the first interest rate hike in almost nine years will be in 2015, and only two officials saw 2016 will be the appropriate timing.

　　In the meantime, the Fed officials lowered their forecast for this year's economic growth to 1.8-2 percent, compared to its March projection¹ of 2.3-2.7 percent. The revised-down figure mainly reflected the economic contraction⁴ in the first quarter, which was in part due to transitory factors, said Fed chair Janet Yellen at a press conference Wednesday.

　　Despite the lower-than-expected economic outlook, the central bank continues to see improvements in the labor⁵ market.

　　U.S. Fed signals interest rate hike on track this year

　　"Economic activity has been expanding moderately after having changed little during the first quarter," the Fed said in a statement after a two-day meeting of its Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) on Wednesday, the Fed's chief body for monetary⁶ policy. The pace of job gains picked up and the underutilization of labor resources diminished somewhat, it added.

　　In the statement, Fed policymakers maintained the current near- zero rate for now and said a hike would be appropriate only after further improvement in the labor market and greater confidence that inflation would rise.

　　Market investors⁷ widely see September or even later as the most likely time for a Fed rate increase. The Fed has kept its benchmark short-term interest rate near zero since December 2008.

　　At the press conference, Yellen said that the importance of the initial increase should not be overstated. She emphasized that the stance of monetary policy will likely remain highly accommodative for quite some time after the first interest rate hike.

　　According to the Fed officials' projections, the appropriate federal funds rate at year end remained around 0.625 percent, while the projections for the rate in 2016 dropped to 1.625 percent, compared to their March median forecast of 1.875 percent, indicating a series of slow and gradual rate hikes in the future.

　　Although the Fed said labor markets continued to improve, unemployment rate is expected to be slightly higher at the end of the year than previously⁸ forecast in March. Inflation remains⁹ low but is expected to gradually rise to its 2 percent target over the medium term, the Fed said.

1 projection   

n.发射，计划，突出部分

参考例句：

• Projection takes place with a minimum of awareness or conscious control.投射在最少的知觉或意识控制下发生。
• The projection of increases in number of house-holds is correct.对户数增加的推算是正确的。

2 projections   

预测( projection的名词复数 )； 投影； 投掷； 突起物

参考例句：

• Their sales projections are a total thumbsuck. 他们的销售量预测纯属估计。
• The council has revised its projections of funding requirements upwards. 地方议会调高了对资金需求的预测。

3 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

4 contraction   

n.缩略词，缩写式，害病

参考例句：

• The contraction of this muscle raises the lower arm.肌肉的收缩使前臂抬起。
• The forces of expansion are balanced by forces of contraction.扩张力和收缩力相互平衡。

5 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

6 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

7 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

8 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

9 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。