In a series of tweets on Thursday, former Federal Reserve economist Claudia Sahm shared her insights on the potential for a soft landing in 2024, crediting Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for this outcome. Using a flight simulator image of Everest base camp’s Lukla airport, Sahm illustrated her point, emphasizing the role of American workers and fiscal policy over the Federal Reserve’s actions.
What Happened: Sahm’s aeronautical-themed posts on X, formerly Twitter, outlined a comprehensive view of the Federal Reserve’s role in the recent economic cycle. She acknowledged that while Powell agrees with the prospect of a soft landing in 2024, the Fed was not the main driver behind the fluctuations in inflation and jobs.
Sahm described the Fed’s actions as an updraft in 2020, a tailwind in 2021, a headwind in 2022-23, and a calming presence in 2024. However, she stressed that the primary factors influencing the economy were fiscal policies and the resilience of American workers.