由于新冠肺炎引发的经济衰退造成的影响变得日益严重，美联储6月10日将基准利率维持在接近零的创纪录低位不变，预计至少到2022年，利率都将维持在当前水平。

The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at the record-low level of near zero amid mounting fallout from the COVID-19-induced recession, and projected interest rates to remain at the current level through at least 2022. 

 

"The ongoing¹ public health crisis will weigh heavily on economic activity, employment, and inflation in the near term, and poses considerable risks to the economic outlook over the medium term," the Federal Open Market Committee, the Fed's policy-making body, said in a statement after concluding a two-day meeting. 

 

In light of these developments, the committee decided² to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 0 to 0.25%, the statement read. 

 

In a separate statement, the Fed projected Wednesday that the US economy will shrink by 6.5% in 2020, followed by a 5% gain next year. 

 

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell told reporters that the economic projections³ were made with the general expectation that the economic recovery will begin in the second half of the year and last over the next couple of years.

 

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