In the media: Late night BBC interview with Prof. Julie Smith

For the second time this month, Prof. Julie Smith has been called upon by British media, this time in a live early morning BBC business news program requiring a late-night interview.

Prof. Julie Smith

Wake Up to Money on BBC Radio 5 Live conducted an interview with Smith, Frank Lee and Edna M. Smith professor of economics, just after midnight (EDT) on Sept. 20 about whether the Federal Reserve will keep raising interest rates if inflation in the U.S. remains high.

“We’ve seen inflation coming down over the last six months, and it’s heading in the right direction for the Fed,” said Smith, who was quoted in the Sept. 18 edition of the Financial Times about expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates before year’s end.

“It’s not where the Fed wants it to be, which is that 2% inflation target. I just don’t know if we’re going to get there fast enough for the Fed to have a lot of confidence that we’re going to get there,” she noted in the interview. “So, I think that’s why an additional rate increase in 2023 is somewhat likely.”

Listen to the entire segment. Smith can be heard at about the 6:20 mark in the broadcast.

The program host thanked Smith for staying up late for the interview.

“We are very grateful to you for staying up. Normally we thank people for getting up.”