Bank of England policymakers will gather for their first meeting of the new year this week amid mounting expectations that governor Mark Carney will change the threshold for considering interest rate rises within months.
Thursday’s decision will see monetary policy held once more but comes as economists predict the bank will soon lower the unemployment target under its forward guidance policy due to the strength of the economic recovery.
The bank had pledged not to look at raising interest rates above 0.5% until the unemployment rate falls to 7% at the time predicting this would not be reached until 2016.
But unemployment has been falling sharply, down to a lower-than-expected 7.4% in October, as the recovery gains traction, meaning the threshold could be hit far sooner.
While the bank is not expected to make any changes to its forward guidance policy at this week’s meeting, it could reduce the unemployment target to 6.5% as soon as next month, according to experts.
Alan Clarke of Scotiabank said unemployment was “falling like a stone”.
He added: “We think that 7% will be hit in the early months of 2014. As a result, the bank is likely to modify its forward guidance policy, lowering the threshold to 6.5%, most likely at the February inflation report.”
Brian Hilliard at Societe Generale said the threshold could “easily” be reduced below 6.5%.
Despite the bank’s assurances that rates will stay low for some time, the recent pace of recovery has led to fears that borrowing costs will have to rise soon.