Alan Greenspan Early Quotations

The United States is currently in its ninth year of economic expansion, an exemplary accomplishment by any standard. Growth of output has remained vigorous, unemployment is lower than it has been in nearly thirty years, and yet, despite the tautness in labor markets, there have been no obvious signs of emerging inflation pressures,

I find it difficult to believe, for example, that the crises that arose in Thailand and Korea would have been nearly so virulent had their central banks published data prior to the crises on net reserves instead of the not very informative gross reserve positions only,

It is still too early to judge whether the froth will become evident on a widening geographic scale or whether recent indications of some easing of speculative pressures signal the onset of a moderating trend,

However, Seoul is clearly of developing in this ... and I expect Seoul gradually make this way to become international financial center.

What I see in the corporate sector is very clearly an issue of a major shortfall in the issue of, what some people call confidence, but whatever you want to call it. Clearly people are looking out in the very distant future and they are saying that it is too complex.

The capacity of workers, after being displaced, to find a new job that will eventually provide nearly comparable pay most often depends on the general knowledge of the worker and the ability of that individual to learn new skills,

On balance, the recovery in spending on business fixed investment is likely to be only gradual; in particular, its growth will doubtless be less frenetic than in 1999 and early 2000,

I would clearly prefer that if you can't run the surpluses, you have to get rid of the surpluses, I would far prefer reducing taxes than increasing spending. I don't think it's a close call,

The economy suffered significant shocks in late summer and early autumn,

Although the tendency in recent months toward stabilization in the East Asian economies is encouraging, clearly those economies are not out of the woods, as recent events attest,

intent on tightening 100 basis points (a full percentage point) in the early 2000 cycle.

Threats of deflation, which were a significant concern last year, by all indications are no longer an issue before us, ... That clearly is a change that's occurred in the last number of weeks, and it's a change ... that's been long overdue and is most welcome.

It's too soon in the fourth quarter to make very many judgments, but despite the fact that we clearly have been shocked by the tragedy of September 11, there is no evidence at this stage from the data we have to date that there will be a decline in the fourth quarter,