The confederation urged the Bank of England to lower interest rates by half a percentage point when policy makers meet next month.

Over 150 scholars and policy makers met to discuss border security issues.

The ninth inning, he said, is "coming up" when policy makers meet on June 29 and 30.

When policy makers last met in September, they left the benchmark federal funds rate on overnight loans among banks unchanged at 1.75 percent.

If the higher inflation rate endures, the Fed will almost certainly continue to push up rates, probably a quarter point each time its policy makers meet.

The latest productivity numbers seem likely to work against an increase in interest rates when the Federal Reserve's policy makers meet on Tuesday.

The policy makers met on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, but the decisions made then will not be disclosed for six weeks or so.

Most analysts said that today's report all but ruled out a cut in interest rates when the Federal Reserve's policy makers meet on March 26.

The good news dashed expectations of a big interest rate cut when the Federal Reserve's policy makers meet on March 20.

And the Fed is expected to cut short-term interest rates when policy makers meet today.