View original document

The full text on this page is automatically extracted from the file linked above and may contain errors and inconsistencies.

Accessible Version
Advance release of table 1 of the Summary of Economic Projections to be
released with the FOMC minutes
Percent
Central tendency1
Variable
Change in real GDP
December projection
Unemployment rate
December projection
PCE inflation
December projection

2015

2.3 to 2.7
2.6 to 3.0
5.0 to 5.2
5.2 to 5.3
0.6 to 0.8
1.0 to 1.6
3
1.3 to 1.4
Core PCE inflation
December projection 1.5 to 1.8

2016
2.3 to 2.7
2.5 to 3.0
4.9 to 5.1
5.0 to 5.2
1.7 to 1.9
1.7 to 2.0
1.5 to 1.9
1.7 to 2.0

2017
2.0 to 2.4
2.3 to 2.5
4.8 to 5.1
4.9 to 5.3
1.9 to 2.0
1.8 to 2.0
1.8 to 2.0
1.8 to 2.0

Range2
Longer
run
2.0 to 2.3
2.0 to 2.3
5.0 to 5.2
5.2 to 5.5
2.0
2.0

2015
2.1 to 3.1
2.1 to 3.2
4.8 to 5.3
5.0 to 5.5
0.6 to 1.5
1.0 to 2.2
1.2 to 1.6
1.5 to 2.2

2016
2.2 to 3.0
2.1 to 3.0
4.5 to 5.2
4.9 to 5.4
1.6 to 2.4
1.6 to 2.1
1.5 to 2.4
1.6 to 2.1

2017
1.8 to 2.5
2.0 to 2.7
4.8 to 5.5
4.7 to 5.7
1.7 to 2.2
1.8 to 2.2
1.7 to 2.2
1.8 to 2.2

Longer
run
1.8 to 2.5
1.8 to 2.7
4.9 to 5.8
5.0 to 5.8
2.0
2.0

Note: Projections of change in real gross domestic product (GDP) and projections for both measures of inflation are
percent changes from the fourth quarter of the previous year to the fourth quarter of the year indicated. PCE inflation
and core PCE inflation are the percentage rates of change in, respectively, the price index for personal consumption
expenditures (PCE) and the price index for PCE excluding food and energy. Projections for the unemployment rate
are for the average civilian unemployment rate in the fourth quarter of the year indicated. Each participant's
projections are based on his or her assessment of appropriate monetary policy. Longer-run projections represent each
participant's assessment of the rate to which each variable would be expected to converge under appropriate monetary
policy and in the absence of further shocks to the economy. The December projections were made in conjunction with
the meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee on December 16-17, 2014.
1. The central tendency excludes the three highest and three lowest projections for each variable in each year. Return
to table
2. The range for a variable in a given year includes all participants' projections, from lowest to highest, for that
variable in that year. Return to table
3. Longer-run projections for core PCE inflation are not collected. Return to table

Figure 1. Central tendencies and ranges of economic projections, 2015-17
and over the longer run
Central tendencies and ranges of economic projections for years 2015 through 2017 and over the longer run. Actual

values for years 2010 through 2014.
Change in real GDP
Percent
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Longer Run
Actual
2.7 1.7 1.6 3.1 2.4 Upper End of Range
3.1 3.0 2.5 2.5
Upper End of Central Tendency 2.7 2.7 2.4 2.3
Lower End of Central Tendency 2.3 2.3 2.0 2.0
Lower End of Range
2.1 2.2 1.8 1.8
Unemployment rate
Percent
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Longer Run
Actual
9.5 8.7 7.8 7.0 5.7 Upper End of Range
5.3 5.2 5.5 5.8
Upper End of Central Tendency 5.2 5.1 5.1 5.2
Lower End of Central Tendency 5.0 4.9 4.8 5.0
Lower End of Range
4.8 4.5 4.8 4.9
PCE inflation
Percent
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Longer Run
Actual
1.3 2.7 1.6 1.0 1.1 Upper End of Range
1.5 2.4 2.2 2.0
Upper End of Central Tendency 0.8 1.9 2.0 2.0
Lower End of Central Tendency 0.6 1.7 1.9 2.0
Lower End of Range
0.6 1.6 1.7 2.0
Note: Definitions of variables are in the general note to the projections table. The data for the actual values of the
variables are annual.

Figure 2. Overview of FOMC participants' assessments of appropriate
monetary policy
Appropriate timing of policy firming
2015 2016
Number of participants 15 2
Note: In the upper panel, the height of each bar denotes the number of FOMC participants who judge that, under
appropriate monetary policy, the first increase in the target range for the federal funds rate from its current range of 0
to 1/4 percent will occur in the specified calendar year. In December 2014, the numbers of FOMC participants who
judged that the first increase in the target federal funds rate would occur in 2015, and 2016 were, respectively, 15, and
2.

Appropriate pace of policy firming: Midpoint of target range or target level for the federal funds rate
Number of participants with projected midpoint of target range or target level
Midpoint of target range
2015 2016 2017 Longer Run
or target level (Percent)
0.125
2
0.250
0.375
1
1
0.500
0.625
7
0.750
0.875
3
1.000
1.125
1
1
1.250
1.375
2
1.500
1.625
1
6
1.750
1.875
3
2.000
1
2.125
1
2.250
1
2.375
2.500
2.625
1
3
2.750
2.875
2
3.000
1
3.125
4
3.250
3.375
2
1
3.500
7
3.625
2
3.750
1
2
6
3.875
1
4.000
1
2
4.125
4.250
1
Note: In the lower panel, each shaded circle indicates the value (rounded to the nearest 1/8 percentage point) of an
individual participant's judgment of the midpoint of the appropriate target range for the federal funds rate or the
appropriate target level for the federal funds rate at the end of the specified calendar year or over the longer run.