Austan Goolsbee

President, Federal Reserve Bank Of Chicago

Search every verified Austan Goolsbee interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Austan Goolsbee, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, has recently expressed increased concern about inflation, stating that progress on disinflation has stalled and that the inflation rate is now rising. In multiple interviews in May and June 2026, Goolsbee noted that inflation has been above the Fed's 2% target for five years, and that after a period of progress, the improvement stopped last year and has recently deteriorated. He pointed to "warning signs" in services inflation, which he described as "high and rising" and not attributable to temporary factors like tariffs or oil prices. Goolsbee said he dissented from a rate cut at the last meeting of the previous year, feeling it was too early, and that he does not regret that position. He stated that the job market has been "stable without being good" and that, given the inflation picture, it "behooves us to take a serious look at what's happening on the inflation side." On artificial intelligence, Goolsbee said in late May 2026 that while AI is "coming in fast" and will be "massively transformational," he does not expect rapid job losses, citing industries where the "oops factor" makes AI unreliable. He advised that health care is likely to remain a secure industry due to an aging population. Regarding the Federal Reserve's communications, Goolsbee expressed skepticism about the use of forward guidance and "committing three years ahead forecasts," and welcomed a communications task force organized by the chair. He also commented on incoming Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, saying he expects Warsh to bring "a lot of new ideas on monetary policy" and that it is "good" to have new ideas, while declining to specify a preferred direction for reducing the Fed's balance sheet.