This paper presents evidence that throughout the 1973-85 period the Federal Reserve systematically used certain types of discount rate announcements to signal changes in its policy instrument, the Federal funds rate. Market participants understood the signals contained in discount rate...

Interest rates have reacted strongly to the monthly employment report in recent years. The authors document the reaction of rates to the report and provide evidence that it has been stronger since the mid-1980s than in earlier years. Evidently the report now has greater impact than formerly on...

Federal Reserve bank directors, who are responsible for establishing the discount rate at their respective banks, subject to the approval of the Board of Governors, naturally have a strong interest in the likely effect of discount rate changes on the Federal funds rate