Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell discussed the central bank’s decision Wednesday to cut the benchmark federal-funds rate to a range between 4.25% and 4.5%, a two-year low, after the Fed cut rates at its two previous meetings.

The projections are a snapshot of individual committee members' best guesses on the future of unemployment, inflation and rate cuts. Economists expect that the average prediction will be three rate cuts in 2025, fewer than were expected when they last published their expectations in September.