Jackson Hole Economic Symposium
| Company type | Annual forum |
|---|---|
| Industry | Economics, Finance |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Founder | Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City |
| Headquarters | Jackson Hole, Wyoming , United States |
Area served | International |
Key people | Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Federal Reserve Board, central bank governors |
The Jackson Hole Economic Symposium, an annual three-day international forum organized by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, takes place in Jackson Hole and gathers leading central bank officials from around the world. This event serves as a platform for central bankers to analyze global economic developments and financial market trends, with close attention paid to any indications regarding the direction of worldwide interest rates. The New York Times has described it as "the world's most exclusive economic get-together."
Since 1981, the symposium has been held at Jackson Lake Lodge within Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. The venue was partly selected due to former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker’s fondness for fly fishing in the region. The conference routinely attracts prominent economists from the Federal Reserve Board alongside international central bank governors. The program includes presentations of economic research papers and discussions on monetary policy.
Past significant topics have encompassed the origins of inflation (1984), the influence of central banks’ balance sheets on financial stability (2016), and the economic implications of major technology corporations (2018). In 2020, then-Fed chairman Jerome Powell introduced a revised approach to interest rate policy that moved beyond traditional reliance on unemployment or inflation forecasts.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the symposium transitioned to a virtual format in 2020 and 2021, drawing approximately 100 to 120 participants including economists, central bankers, and members of the press. The 2022 event marked a return to in-person meetings after a hiatus since 2019, where most central bankers underscored the necessity of further interest rate increases to address inflation despite potential recession concerns. In contrast, Bank of Japan governor Haruhiko Kuroda voiced support for maintaining accommodative rate cuts.