The Federal Reserve should start raising interest rates next year, a top Fed official said on Monday, arguing that even if rates stay near zero for many years, U.S. economic output will not bounce back to pre-recession levels.
Last month the Fed said it was likely to keep interest rates exceptionally low through late 2014 to bolster a recovery that was moving too slowly.
St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said he disagreed with that decision, arguing that the housing collapse means unemployment is likely to stay high and labor markets will improve only slowly even if rates are kept low for many years.
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