美연준, “정책금리 동결…양적완화 기조 유지”

[재경일보 뉴욕=유재수 기자] 미국 연방준비제도는 26일(현지시간) 정책금리를 연 0∼0.25% 수준으로 동결하고 "총 6천억 달러 규모의 양적완화 정책을 계속 유지해 나가겠다"고 밝혔다.

연준은 통화정책결정기구인 연방공개시장위원회(FOMC)의 올해 첫 회의를 마친 후 발표한 이날 성명에서 "고용시장에 눈에 띄는 개선을 가져오기에는 불충분하지만 경기회복세는 여전히 지속되고 있다"고 말했다. 고용사정을 개선하기에는 경기회복의 강도가 충분치 않다는 것이다.

이런 이유로 연준은 "현재 시행중인 국채매입 프로그램을 수정하지 않고 그대로 계속 해나가기로 결정했다"고 밝혔다.

이번 FOMC 성명은 벤 버냉키 FRB 의장 등 의결권을 가진 위원들 가운데 단 1명의 반대도 없이 만장일치로 채택됐다.

연준은 특히 인플레이션율이 낮은 수준을 유지하고 있지만 원자재를 비롯한 상품 가격이 상승하고 있는 점을 유의해야 한다고 지적하고 물가상승에 대한 경계심을 나타냈다.

연준은 또 정책금리를 연 0∼0.25% 수준으로 계속 동결키로 하고 앞으로 '상당기간에 걸쳐(extended period)' 초저금리 기조를 유지하겠다는 입장을 다시 확인시켰다.

다음은, FOMC 성명 전문.

FOMC Statement of Jan. 26, 2011

Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in December confirms that the economic recovery is continuing, though at a rate that has been insufficient to bring about a significant improvement in labor market conditions. Growth in household spending picked up late last year, but remains constrained by high unemployment, modest income growth, lower housing wealth, and tight credit. Business spending on equipment and software is rising, while investment in nonresidential structures is still weak. Employers remain reluctant to add to payrolls. The housing sector continues to be depressed. Although commodity prices have risen, longer-term inflation expectations have remained stable, and measures of underlying inflation have been trending downward.

Consistent with its statutory mandate, the Committee seeks to foster maximum employment and price stability. Currently, the unemployment rate is elevated, and measures of underlying inflation are somewhat low, relative to levels that the Committee judges to be consistent, over the longer run, with its dual mandate. Although the Committee anticipates a gradual return to higher levels of resource utilization in a context of price stability, progress toward its objectives has been disappointingly slow.

To promote a stronger pace of economic recovery and to help ensure that inflation, over time, is at levels consistent with its mandate, the Committee decided today to continue expanding its holdings of securities as announced in November. In particular, the Committee is maintaining its existing policy of reinvesting principal payments from its securities holdings and intends to purchase $600 billion of longer-term Treasury securities by the end of the second quarter of 2011. The Committee will regularly review the pace of its securities purchases and the overall size of the asset-purchase program in light of incoming information and will adjust the program as needed to best foster maximum employment and price stability.

The Committee will maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 0 to 1/4 percent and continues to anticipate that economic conditions, including low rates of resource utilization, subdued inflation trends, and stable inflation expectations, are likely to warrant exceptionally low levels for the federal funds rate for an extended period.

The Committee will continue to monitor the economic outlook and financial developments and will employ its policy tools as necessary to support the economic recovery and to help ensure that inflation, over time, is at levels consistent with its mandate.

Voting for the FOMC monetary policy action were: Ben S. Bernanke, Chairman; William C. Dudley, Vice Chairman; Elizabeth A. Duke; Charles L. Evans; Richard W. Fisher; Narayana Kocherlakota; Charles I. Plosser; Sarah Bloom Raskin; Daniel K. Tarullo; Kevin M. Warsh; and Janet L. Yellen.