Jackson Hole Economic Symposium
The Jackson Hole Economic Symposium is a three‑day annual conference hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It brings together central bank leaders, economists, journalists, financial industry leaders, and government officials from around the world to discuss long‑term policy issues of mutual concern. By 2025, representatives from about 70 countries have participated, and more than 150 authors have presented papers on topics like inflation, labor markets, and international trade. The discussions are closely watched for clues about the future direction of global interest rates, and The New York Times has called it “the world’s most exclusive economic get‑together.”
The event takes place at Jackson Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park, in Teton County, during late August. It’s been held at Jackson Hole since 1981, after a few location changes in the late 1970s. Paul Volcker, the then Federal Reserve chairman, helped choose the area in part to enjoy the area’s famous fly fishing.
Regular attendees include top economists from the Federal Reserve, other policymakers, and foreign central bank governors. Past themes have covered inflation causes (1984), central bank balance sheets and financial stability (2016), and the impact of tech giants on the economy (2018). The 2020 meeting was held online because of the COVID‑19 pandemic, and Powell announced a new policy approach to raising rates not tied solely to unemployment or inflation expectations. The 2022 meeting was the first in person since 2019, with most central bankers signaling a willingness to raise rates to fight inflation, though Bank of Japan governor Haruhiko Kuroda stood out by indicating a need to continue cutting rates.
The 2025 meeting took place August 21–23, focusing on “Labor Markets in Transition: Demographics, Productivity, and Macroeconomic Policy.” In a speech, Fed Chair Jerome Powell noted rising risks to the labor market, which many market participants took as a sign that rate cuts could come for the first time since December 2024.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 16:28 (CET).