Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

'The Fed has to do the dirty work' and induce a US recession that's deeper than Europe's as the economy is clearly overheating, BofA says

'The Fed has to do the dirty work' and induce a US recession that's deeper than Europe's as the economy is clearly overheating, BofA says

"If the Fed wants to get labor cost inflation under control in a timely manner, we think it needs to engineer about a 2% rise in the unemployment rate."
The Federal Reserve faces the difficult task of cooling down a searing-hot labor market, and aggressive rate hikes will ultimately tip the US economy into a deeper recession than what Europe will likely see, according to Bank of America. 

Because Europe had a less rapid recovery from the pandemic compared to the US, Europe's GDP has less room to fall, BofA said, adding that the eurozone still hasn't fully recovered from the recession with hours worked far below pre-pandemic levels and wage growth only inching higher.

"Europe does not need to cool off its labor market to get inflation down," analysts wrote in a note Friday. "By contrast, the Fed has to do the dirty work of bringing labor demand down and in line with labor supply. Adding to the challenge is the fact that pent-up demand for labor in the US is making it very hard to cool off the labor market. So the Fed has to deal with both the risk of second-round effects and the first-round effect of an overheating labor market."

The strength of the US labor market was on display Friday, when the Labor Department reported nonfarm payrolls increased by 261,000 in October, above expectations, while unemployment rose to 3.7%, above the expected 3.5%. 

BofA analysts said the US economy is "clearly overheating," particularly the labor market, as robust wage growth shows few signs of easing.
The jobs data opens the door for the Fed to stay aggressive with its rate hikes, even after it made its fourth consecutive 75-basis-point increase on Wednesday. The fed fund rate now sits at 3.75% to 4%.

BofA now sees the Fed eventually hiking the benchmark rate to 5.25%, up from its previous prediction for 4.75% to 5%, while the European Central Bank's terminal rate will be 2.5%. 

"If the Fed wants to get labor cost inflation under control in a timely manner, we think it needs to engineer about a 2% rise in the unemployment rate," the note said.

As a result, analysts see the US economy shrinking at an annualized pace of 1.5% in the first three quarters of next year. The eurozone is seen contracting by 1.2% and 1.6% over the two winter quarters, then rebounding to trend-like growth of roughly 1% over the remainder of next year.

To be sure, Europe faces significant downside risks that could change the outlook, such as the prospect of further natural gas supply cuts from Russia as well as uncertainty from upcoming sanctions on Russian oil.  

"We can't rule out additional shocks to the energy market, due to additional supply disruptions," BofA said. "Europe is vulnerable to confidence shocks if the war in Ukraine escalates. And Europe is quite vulnerable to a colder-than-normal winter."
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Man Convicted of Fraud After Booking Over 120 Free Flights Posing as Flight Attendant
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Beata Thunberg Rebrands as Beata Ernman Amidst Sister's Activism Controversy
Hungarian Parliament Approves Citizenship Suspension Law
Prime Minister Orbán Criticizes EU's Ukraine Accession Plans
Hungarian Delicacies Introduced to Japanese Market
Hungary's Industrial Output Rises Amid Battery Sector Slump
President Sulyok Celebrates 15 Years of Hungarian Unity Efforts
Hungary's Szeleczki Shines at World Judo Championships
Visegrád Construction Trends Diverge as Hungary Lags
Hungary Hosts National Quantum Technology Workshop
Hungarian Animation Featured at Annecy Festival
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
UK and EU Reach New Economic Agreement
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
UK and EU Reach Agreement on Gibraltar's Schengen Integration
Israeli Finance Minister Imposes Banking Penalties on Palestinians
U.S. Inflation Rises to 2.4% in May Amid Trade Tensions
Trump's Policies Prompt Decline in Chinese Student Enrollment in U.S.
Global Oceans Near Record Temperatures as CO₂ Levels Climb
Trump Announces U.S.-China Trade Deal Covering Rare Earths
Smuggled U.S. Fuel Funds Mexican Cartels Amid Crackdown
Austrian School Shooting Leaves Nine Dead in Graz
Bezos's Lavish Venice Wedding Sparks Local Protests
Europe Prepares for Historic Lunar Rover Landing
Italian Parents Seek Therapy Amid Lengthy School Holidays
British Fishing Vessel Seized by France Fined €30,000
Dutch Government Collapses Amid Migration Policy Dispute
UK Commits to 3.5% GDP Defence Spending Under NATO Pressure
Germany Moves to Expedite Migrant Deportations
US Urges UK to Raise Defence Spending to 5% of GDP
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Low Turnout Jeopardizes Italy's Citizenship Reform Referendum
Transatlantic Interest Rate Divergence Widens as Trump Pressures Powell
EU Lawmaker Calls for Broader Exemptions in Supply Chain Legislation
France's Defense Spending Plans Threatened by High National Debt
European Small-Cap Stocks Outperform U.S. Rivals Amid Growth Revival
Switzerland Proposes $26 Billion Capital Increase for UBS
×