A divided US Federal Reserve has lowered interest rates for a third consecutive time this year, flagging labour market concerns even as inflation remained elevated while President Donald Trump's tariffs bite.
Wednesday’s cut by a quarter percentage point brings rates to a range between 3.50 percent and 3.75 percent, the lowest in around three years.
The move was in line with market expectations, although the path ahead is less certain.
The Fed pencilled in at least one more rate reduction next year, and flagged heightened risks to employment as it announced Wednesday's move.
But a rift within the central bank deepened with three officials voting against the modest reduction.
Chicago Fed president Austan Goolsbee and Kansas City Fed president Jeffrey Schmid instead sought to keep rates unchanged. Fed Governor Stephen Miran backed a bigger, half-percentage-point cut.
The Fed's rate-setting committee consists of 12 voting members — including seven members of the board of governors, the New York Fed president and a rotation of reserve bank presidents — who take a majority vote in deciding the path of rates.
On Wednesday, Fed officials also lifted their 2026 GDP growth forecast to 2.3 percent.
They lowered inflation expectations slightly for the next year, while their projections of the unemployment rate remained unchanged.
