Inflation Targeting and Output Stabilisation

Inflation targeting has been criticised for being ‘inflation only’ targeting and hence, for ignoring output and employment. This paper argues that this criticism is misplaced. The inflation-targeting framework has sufficient flexibility to allow for the short-run trade-off between output and inflation. The extent to which it does so in part reflects some design features of the inflation-targeting framework, such as targeting bands and the policy horizon, that have been adopted in practice in the inflation-targeting countries. Medium-term price stability can be maintained while still allowing some degree of short-run inflation variability, thus providing scope for lower output variability.