Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell took time away from the demands of steering U.S. monetary policy to talk with a group of teachers about the importance of economics in today’s fast-paced society.
He noted that getting through the basic economic fundamentals will stand today’s students in good stead. “Frankly all I took as an undergrad was macro and micro—I didn’t major in economics,” he said.The Fed chair came up blank when asked about his favorite macroeconomic topic during his student days. “That’s a hard question because, for me, that was literally 52 years ago,” Powell said. “If you give me a list of five, I’ll pick one.
America’s central banker is on the job even when he’s not. “What I like to do in my free time these days is work,” Powell said. “There’s quiet time at home on the weekends, where I can really read more of the background stuff — so, for example, read about AI and things like that. That, for me, is very enjoyable.”