Bernanke: Recession 'Very Likely Over'

Forecast sees it at 8.6% at end of 2012

(NEWSER) - If President Obama were hoping for a quick election-year turnaround in the jobless rate, the Federal Reserve burst his bubble today. The Fed projected unemployment will be at 8.6% at the end of 2012, not much better than the 9.1% registered in September of this year, reports the Wall Street Journal . The projections don't get remarkably better after that: The Fed sees the rate at 8% by the end of 2013 and 7.7% the following year. More»

...But we won't just yet

(NEWSER) - The Federal Reserve yesterday reassured the public that it was “prepared to provide additional accommodation if needed” to support the recovery, but that it didn’t think it was needed just yet. But merely suggesting the possibility was enough to send markets in the right direction, with interest on Treasury bonds falling, in theory making mortgages and other long-term loans cheaper, the Washington Post reports. More»

(AP) - The Federal Reserve today decided as expected to hold a key bank lending rate at a record low near zero and pledged to keep rates there "for an extended period." The Fed also declared that "economic activity has picked up following its severe downturn" and said it would slow the pace of a program to lower mortgage rates and prop up the housing market. More»

Still hopes economy will grow by year's end

(NEWSER) - The US has a long way to go before the economy returns to full health, despite hopeful signs, Ben Bernanke told the House budget committee today. “Recovery will only gradually gain momentum and that economic slack will diminish slowly,” the Fed chairman said. With businesses cautious, “the unemployment rate is likely to rise for a time, even after economic growth resumes”—which he still believes could happen at year’s end, CNNMoney reports. More»

2010 will be 'year of recovery'

(NEWSER) - If the government’s plans work, the recession will be over by the end of this year, Ben Bernanke told senators today, making 2010 a “year of recovery.” But, the Wall Street Journal reports, the Federal Reserve chief pointed to continuing storm clouds, saying the US is undergoing a “severe contraction,” and that “the downside risks probably outweigh those on the upside.” More»