The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the United States Federal Reserve (Fed) has decided to approve a rise in the country's interest rates of 25 basis points, until placing them in a target range between 4.75% and 5%, as reported this Wednesday.

The US monetary authority has predicted that more interest rate hikes will still be necessary to subdue the rise in prices and return inflation to the 2% target.

When determining the increase, the progressive tightening of monetary policy, the "delayed effects" of monetary policy on economic activity, inflation and the financial sector will be taken into account. In addition, the Fed ensures that "it is prepared" to "adjust" its monetary policy if "risks emerge that prevent the achievement of the Committee's objectives."

The Federal Reserve states that the "banking system of the United States is robust and resilient." However, it also highlights that "recent events", alluding to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank, will lead to stricter financing conditions for both families and companies, and "will have an impact on the activity economy, contracting and inflation".

On the other hand, the plans to reduce the Fed's balance sheet remain unchanged, reinvesting the principal of the debt that matures, with the exception of 95,000 million dollars each month, between Treasury bonds and mortgage securities.

The US labor market created 311,000 jobs during the month of February. On his side, unemployment rose two tenths to 3.6%, according to the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In this way, unemployment in the US moved away from the minimum registered in January, when 517,000 jobs were created and unemployment reached 3.4%, which was its lowest rate since 1969.

The economy of the first world power experienced an annualized growth of 2.7% of its GDP in the fourth quarter and 2.1% in the whole of 2022, revealed the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA, for its acronym in English). .

Likewise, the personal consumption spending price index, the Fed's preferred variable for monitoring inflation, stood at 5.4% year-on-year in January and four tenths more than the previous month. The monthly rate registered an expansion of 0.6%, five tenths more.

The underlying variable, which excludes energy and food prices from its calculation due to their greater volatility, stood at 4.7%, three tenths more.