The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland will host an online webinar titled “Understanding Inflation Expectations” on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, from 3:00 to 4:00 pm EDT. The event aims to clarify the concept of inflation expectations and their impact on economic decision-making for a broad audience, including consumers, business owners, and policymakers.

According to the Cleveland Fed, “Inflation expectations are what people think will happen to prices for goods and services in the future. This Fed Talk aims to demystify this concept.” The institution highlights that expectations about inflation play a critical role in shaping actual inflation because they influence spending and pricing decisions across the economy. As stated by the bank, “Expectations about inflation matter because they play a critical role in economic decision-making which, in turn, will influence actual inflation. For example, if consumers expect higher inflation, they may spend more now. If businesses expect higher costs, they may raise prices preemptively. Both actions can contribute to higher inflation.”

Since it is not possible to directly observe what people expect regarding future prices, various methods are used to measure these expectations. The Cleveland Fed notes that “Because we cannot directly observe inflation expectations, we use various methods to measure them. These methods include surveys, forecasts, and inflation-related financial instruments.”

Panelists at the upcoming Fed Talk will discuss how expected and actual inflation are related. Economists from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland’s Center for Inflation Research will serve as speakers during the session. According to information provided by the bank: “The Center is a leading resource to better understand all aspects of inflation through the availability of research, indicators, and educational tools.” Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions following the presentation.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland serves Ohio and parts of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Kentucky as part of its responsibility within the Fourth Federal Reserve District. The bank provides resources such as economic data sets and indicators relevant both locally and nationally.

Updates about this webinar and other public events hosted by the Cleveland Fed are available for those interested.