Leaders | Too fast to land

A stubbornly strong economy complicates the fight against inflation

Higher interest rates are not sufficiently slowing global growth

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 07: Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell testifies before the Senate Banking Committee March 7, 2023 in Washington, DC. Powell spoke on the state of the U.S. economy and suggested that interest rates will need to stay higher for longer than expected in order to curb inflation. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Mar 8th 2023

You mighT have expected the fastest tightening of global monetary policy in 40 years to deal a heavy blow to the world economy. Yet in 2023 it seems to be shrugging off the effects of higher interest rates. Not only is inflation stubbornly high, but economic activity also appears to have quickened. Faster growth may sound good, but it is a headache for policymakers, who are trying to bring about a managed slowdown. And it could mean that a recession, when it eventually strikes, is more painful.

This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Too fast to land”