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WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve is expected this week to send its clearest signal yet that it will start reining in its ultra-low-interest rate policies later this year, a first step toward unwinding the extraordinary support it has given the economy since the pandemic struck 18 months ago.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve will start dialing back its ultra-low-rate policies this year as long as hiring continues to improve, Chair Jerome Powell said Aug. 27, signaling the beginning of the end of the Fed’s extraordinary response to the pandemic recession.

The Federal Reserve is seeing both labor and material shortages mounting across several sectors of the U.S. economy, which may have consumers paying even more for everything from fuel to new homes.

WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell underscored the U.S. economy’s ongoing weakness Feb. 23 in remarks that suggested that the Fed sees no need to alter its ultra-low interest rate policies anytime soon.

The Federal Reserve has delayed the termination of the Main Street Lending Program to Jan. 8, from Dec. 31, to finish processing loans submitted by a Dec. 14 deadline to tap its funds.

The Federal Reserve strengthened its commitment to support the U.S. economy, promising to maintain its massive asset purchase program until it sees “substantial further progress” in employment and inflation.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve’s policymakers face an unusual conundrum as they meet this week: a short-term economic outlook that is worsening even while the longer-term picture is brightening thanks to the emergence of coronavirus vaccines

The U.S. economic recovery remained moderate across much of the country, and showed signs of a slowdown in areas where coronavirus cases are particularly high, according to a Federal Reserve report.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned of a weak U.S. recovery without sufficient government aid and said providing too much stimulus wouldn’t be a problem.

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard, in the most upbeat comments by a central banker since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, said the U.S. economy may surge at a 35% annualized rate in the third quarter and the nation may be close to a complete recovery by year-end.