Jerome Powell: “We are not responsible for energy policy. That is a matter for Congress and the Administration.”

Job growth, he said, has slowed considerably and that the downside risks to employment are rising.

the outlook for employment and inflation does not appear to have changed much since our September meeting

We may approach that point in coming months

Overall, while the labor market appears to be in balance, it is a curious kind of balance that results from a marked slowing in both the supply of and demand for workers.