Fed chair: Interest rate cut may happen next month if policymakers are comfortable with economic data

Washington Post editorial writer and columnist Heather Long discusses the Federal Reserve’s management of rate cuts and the impact of the July jobs report.

Billionaire Elon Musk said Sunday the Federal Reserve was “foolish” to not have cut interest rates sooner in the wake of a lackluster jobs report that raised concerns about an economic slowdown.

“The Fed needs to drop rates,” Musk wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “They have been foolish not to have done so already.”

Musk’s comments come after the Federal Reserve held a policy meeting last week in which the central bank kept the target rate at a range of 5.25% to 5.5% – the highest level in 23 years that the Fed has held steady at since last July.

Policymakers said inflation remains “somewhat elevated” above its 2% target rate, with data for June showing inflation declined to 3%.

Elon Musk says the Fed has been “foolish” for not cutting interest rates sooner. (Marc Piasecki/Getty Images/File)

Fed Chair Jerome Powell signaled that an interest rate cut could occur at the central bank’s next meeting, although he said policymakers haven’t made a decision yet and will evaluate inflation and labor market data before they do so.

“The question will be whether the totality of the data, the evolving outlook and the balance of risks are consistent with rising confidence on inflation and maintaining a solid labor market,” Powell said. “If that test is met, a reduction in our policy rate could be on the table as soon as the next meeting in September.”

The Fed kept interest rates at a 23-year high last week prior to a lackluster jobs report. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images/File)

Musk made the comments in response to a post on X about billionaire investor Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway increasing its stockpile of cash equivalents and short-term treasuries after paring back its stock positions, including that of its largest holding, Apple.

“He is clearly expecting a correction of some kind or otherwise simply cannot see better investments than Treasury bills,” Musk said.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the central bank may cut rates at its September meeting if the inflation and labor market data improves. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/File)

On Friday, the Labor Department’s latest jobs report showed that the U.S. economy added 114,000 jobs, less than the 175,000 forecast by London Stock Exchange Group economists.

The slower-than-expected job growth contributed to an unexpected rise in the unemployment rate, which ticked up to 4.3% amid expectations it would remain at 4.1%.

FOX Business’ Megan Henney and Reuters contributed to this report.