As always, what I have to say reflects my own views and not necessarily those of the FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) or the Federal Reserve System. My attention today will be on three important questions: •  Why has the U.S. recovery been so sluggish and consistently weaker than expected? •  What should we, as monetary policymakers, do it about it? •  What other policy actions are needed to help ensure a timely transition to strong and sustainable growth? The disappointing recovery Turning to the first question, U.S. economic growth has been quite sluggish in recent years. For example, annualized real GDP (gross domestic product) growth has averaged only about 2.2 percent since the end of the recession in 2009. As a consequence, we have seen only modest improvement in the U.S. labor market. Not only has growth been slow, it has also been disappointing relative to the forecasters’ expectations. For example, the Blue Chip Consensus have been persistently too optimistic in recent years. This is illustrated in Exhibit 1 which shows how private sector forecasts for 2008 through 2013 have evolved over time. Two aspects of this exhibit are noteworthy. First, forecasters have consistently expected the U.S. economy to gather momentum over time. Second, with only one exception, the growth forecasts for each year have been revised downward over time, as the expected strengthening did not materialize. In contrast, as shown in Exhibit 2, there has been no notable pattern of forecast misses for inflation.
In 2013 a joint venture for production of banknotes was set up by the BNB Printing Works and one of the world’s leading banknote printers François-Charles Oberthur Group, France, and thus Bulgaria became an important player in the banknote industry. It is interesting to note that over its 137-year history the BNB has organised the production, issue and circulation of more than 500 types of coins, including commemorative coins and medals produced by the Bulgarian Mint in Sofia. You know that a few months ago, on 7 December, the new 2 leva coin came into circulation. The design of that coin enjoys enormous public approval. But let’s come back to our exhibition. Along with the coins struck after Bulgaria’s liberation until now, the visitors will be able to catch a glimpse of the history of money on the Bulgarian lands going back centuries. I am convinced that the displayed items can tell a lot about the  BIS central bankers’ speeches  1  long history and background of the economic and political life on the territory of today’s Bulgaria. I wish much success to this exhibition. I hope many citizens and guests of Burgas will come to see it, to learn more about the money used on the Bulgarian lands, and to feel, as we do today, deep respect for the history and accomplishments of our ancestors. 2  BIS central bankers’ speeches