Fed holds off on rate hike ahead of election

The Federal Reserve building.
(Image credit: KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images)

The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged after the end of its meeting Wednesday, just as many economists had expected. "In the midst of an election, the last thing the Fed wants to do is add fuel to all the political controversy from the candidates," Sung Won Sohn, an economics professor at California State University, Channel Islands, told ABC News.

The Fed said in a statement that it would wait for "further evidence" of progress in the economy but that the case for a hike has "continued to strengthen."

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.