“我们原本预计在今年秋季全面重新开放期间，支出会从商品向服务业平稳过渡，但德尔塔已经放缓了这个过程，”她表示，“由于德尔塔毒株的传播，9月就业报告可能比我希望的更弱，对潜在经济势头所传达的信息也更少。”
Fed governor Brainard said the labor market may soon meet her criteria for curtailing asset purchases, while the Delta strain could improve access.The upside risk of inflation may last longer due to supply constraints.
"I think the employment situation is still slightly inadequate in terms of significant further progress," Brainard said in a speech prepared for the annual meeting of the National Association of Business Economics on Monday. "but if the progress continues as I hope, the goal may be achieved soon."
Mr Brainard said Delta was more damaging than expected and warned that forecasters must be flexible and keep pace with the times as new risks emerge.
"We had expected a smooth transition of spending from goods to services during the full reopening this autumn, but Delta has slowed the process," she said. "because of the spread of Delta, the September jobs report may be weaker than I had hoped and send less information about potential economic momentum."
Fed officials left benchmark interest rates unchanged between 0 and 0.25 per cent last week and said it "may soon seem appropriate" to scale back $120 billion a month in asset purchases if the economy continues to make progress towards maximising employment. Chairman Powell told reporters that the process could start at the Fed's meeting on November 2-3.
Brainard also said she expected inflation to slow.
"as Delta disrupts the rotation of spending from goods to services, supply bottlenecks persist, so it is uncertain how fast and how much inflation will decelerate for the rest of this year and next year," Brainard said. "so I am keeping a close eye on some upside risks."
