Over time, inflation returned to 2%. New and old uncertainties complicate our challenge of balancing the risks of monetary policy being too tight with the risks of being too tight. If too little is done, above-target inflation could become entrenched and ultimately force monetary policy to contain more persistent inflation in high-employment-cost economies. Going too far can also cause unnecessary damage to the economy.
Given the uncertainties and risks and our progress, the Committee is proceeding with caution. We will decide on the extent of further policy tightening and for how long policy restrictions should remain in place, based on the overall data available, the outlook, and the balance of risks.