Kansas City Fed shifts Jackson Hole symposium to virtual event

The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s annual Jackson Hole gathering, which was due to be held in person Aug. 26-28, is now shifting to a virtual format, the bank announced Friday.

The regional Fed bank said it was making the move “due to the recently elevated COVID-19 health risk level in Teton County, Wyoming.”

The symposium’s usual setting is in the Grand Teton National Park outside Jackson, Wyoming. The gathering of the world’s top central bankers and economists is traditionally scrutinized for hints on upcoming policy changes. Fed watchers will be looking for any signals about tapering its asset purchases and the outlook for the economy.

“While we are disappointed that health conditions will prevent us from being able to gather in person at the Jackson Lake Lodge this year as we had planned, the safety of our guests and the Teton County community is our priority,” said Esther George, president of the Kansas City Fed.

COVID-19 cases have spiked across the country as the delta variant spreads, spurring companies to re-evaluate return-to-work plans and schools to return to virtual education, quarantines and mask requirements.

The Fed said Thursday that Chair Jerome Powell would deliver his remarks virtually via the Kansas City Fed’s YouTube channel on Friday Aug. 27.