Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke testifies Wednesday before the Senate Banking Committee.
Ben Bernanke's speaking to Congress this afternoon, and his testimony is full of on-the-one-hand / on-the-other-hand.
It's a reminder of what Bernanke called the "unusually uncertain" economic moment we're in — a moment when economists debate questions as basic as whether inflation or deflation is a bigger threat.
Here are a few key pieces of Bernanke's testimony.
Unemployment:
On the one hand: "After two years of job losses, private payrolls expanded at an average of about 100,000 per month during the first half of this year"
On the other hand: "In all likelihood, a significant amount of time will be required to restore the nearly 8-1/2 million jobs that were lost over 2008 and 2009."
Economic Growth:
On the one hand: "fiscal policy and inventory restocking will likely be providing less impetus to the recovery than they have in recent quarters"
On the other hand: "rising demand from households and businesses should help sustain growth"
Corporate Spending:
On the one hand: "investment in equipment and software appears to have increased rapidly in the first half of the year"
On the other hand: "spending on nonresidential structures — weighed down by high vacancy rates and tight credit — has continued to contract"
Fed Policy:
On the one hand: "the Federal Reserve continues prudent planning for the ultimate withdrawal of extraordinary monetary policy accommodation"
On the other hand: "we remain prepared to take further policy actions as needed"
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