Fed hikes interest rate for third time in 15 months

Federal reserve building.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday increased its benchmark interest rate by a quarter-point following a steady stream of upbeat employment and inflation data. The short-term rate is now at a range of 0.75 percent to 1 percent.

It is the second time in three months and the third time in 15 months that the Fed has raised the interest rate, after holding it near zero for almost a decade during and after the Great Recession. Any further hikes this year are expected to be "gradual," The Associated Press reports.

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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.