According to BlockBeats, on August 1st, Federal Reserve Chairman Barkin stated that whether the Fed's current interest rate level is sufficient to curb inflation is an "open question." He also indicated that he was unsure whether he would vote in favor of raising interest rates, as the other three regional Fed presidents voted this week. In an interview on Friday, Barkin said, "I think there are certainly good reasons to tighten policy and reverse some of last year's rate cuts." He noted that given the slowdown in June's inflation data, "I think it's also reasonable to argue... there's still time before the next meeting to determine whether the current policy stance is appropriate." Barkin will not participate in the interest rate decision vote until next year.
Furthermore, Ba Jin expressed skepticism about whether the labor market had significantly strengthened. He stated, "I don't feel the labor market is tight." He also pointed out that the transmission of price increases throughout the economy is uneven, making it difficult to determine how much inflation remains. (Jinshi)