Fed Chair Warsh to Address Jackson Hole Amid Inflation, Policy Division

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh is set to deliver his first major address at the annual Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium on Friday, August 28, 2026, amid persistent inflation and a divided central bank. The speech, scheduled for 10:00 a.m. ET in Wyoming, comes as inflation has remained above the Fed's 2% target for 65 consecutive months, with the personal consumption expenditures index at 3.7% year-over-year in July. Warsh, who took office in May, faces the challenge of clarifying his policy stance while maintaining his deliberate approach to reducing forward guidance. The symposium, hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, gathers central bankers, academics, and policymakers from over 70 countries. This year's theme is "Financial Innovation: Implications for Payments and Policy." Warsh's address is highly anticipated because it could signal the Fed's next steps on interest rates, which were held at 3.50% to 3.75% at the July meeting. Three officials dissented in favor of a 25-basis-point hike, reflecting internal division over whether current policy is restrictive enough to bring inflation down. Inflation data has remained stubbornly high, with core PCE at 3.