**[Reuters Survey: Nearly All Economists Believe the Fed Will Skip October and Raise Rates in December]** Jin10 Data, October 20 – Economists interviewed by Reuters almost unanimously predict that the Federal Reserve will hold off on raising interest rates this month and will act again in December. Despite stubborn inflation demanding stronger countermeasures, policymakers have signaled patience. In the survey, the vast majority of economists (94 out of 100) expect the Fed to maintain the federal funds rate in the range of 3.75% to 4.00% at its October meeting. However, all 100 respondents anticipate a rate hike in December, a stark contrast to last month's survey, where less than half expressed this expectation. Alex Pelle, Senior U.S. Economist at Mizuho Bank, stated: "The economy is strong, and inflation is rising. There's really no need to worry so much about raising rates—it's the easiest decision to make. Unfortunately, the Fed hasn't truly taken better control of the situation; they're just treading water and might even be slightly behind the curve." Pelle added, "From a policy perspective, their decision not to raise rates in October is a mistake. They will raise rates by 25 basis points in December, but it's more likely they'll ultimately raise rates by 50 basis points rather than not raising them at all."