For these assessments, we consult our researchers and add critical information that we learn from listening to our boards of directors, regional advisory councils and community leaders, such as you and others I’ll meet on this visit. For example, last month members of our small business advisory council told us that for the first time in several years, employees were leaving for other jobs and that they would need to replace those who left for better opportunities elsewhere. The fact that some people with jobs felt confident enough to seek and take other job opportunities was another signal to us that the job market may be improving – although, to be sure, we read such signals cautiously. BIS central bankers’ speeches  1  To help me gather more information about the region, yesterday, I had breakfast in Syracuse with business and community leaders at the Center for Economic Development. Then I met with the staff of PathStone, a community development organization, met faculty and students at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University and had lunch with university officials who manage the tech transfer process. In the afternoon, we drove to Skaneateles Falls to tour Welch Allyn, a manufacturer of medical diagnostic instruments. Dr. Julie Shimer is the president and CEO. Dr. Shimer was also recently appointed chair of the Empire State Development Corporation, and we talked about challenges and opportunities for economic development in New York State. After this morning’s gathering, I will speak with staff of the Empire Justice Center, meet with Lt.
Growth in public demand, stronger confidence in financial markets and low key rates are fuelling investment abroad. Even though the global economic situation now seems to have stabilised, there is still a risk of continued low growth for a fairly long period ahead. The severe downturn and fall in commodity prices has led to very low or negative consumer price inflation in many countries. Inflation is still moving down and is now negative in for instance the US, the euro area, Sweden, Japan and China. Core inflation is more stable, but has also shown a slight decline recently. The current low level of activity and high unemployment will also act as a brake on inflation in the period ahead. One characteristic of the crisis was the substantial increase in money market rates. Confidence between banks evaporated. Banks reacted by raising interest rates on loans to businesses and households. They started to turn off the lending tap. Measures implemented by central banks and governments have had a stabilising effect. The most important markets have also gradually become less disorderly, with less distrust among participants. The risk that issuers of credit will go bankrupt has diminished. Activity in money and bond markets has picked up and fluctuations are less pronounced. The situation in the interbank market has improved. The spread between money market rates and expected key rates, which is an indicator of risk premiums in the money market, has decreased. Money market premiums in Norway have also fallen. Equity markets have risen since early 2009.