They don’t, the Fed is sort of the hammer to break glass in case of emergencies, but the legislature has refused to do anything productive or helpful for citizens.

For years the fed just printed money to stave off an economic collapse. The legislative branch bought stock instead of passing laws and regulations.

The Fed isn’t our government, but unfortunately our government isn’t our government anymore either.

People have given good responses here, but the other, important reason is because when people in the lower socioeconomic strata make more money, they’re willing to pay more for stuff instead of invest that money, meaning the prices for goods rises, which affects the lower classes most. If broad income rises, the price of goods rises. Are you making more “per hour” when everything costs more and you’re still spending the same percent of your income on food and housing? And if your income goes up, and so do prices, people that didn’t get that income raise get fucked hardest. That’s basically what “runaway inflation” IS: it’s when an economy starts increasing wages to satisfy cost, and cost goes to satisfy demand, so wages go up to satisfy cost and cost goes up to satisfy demand.

no one wants lower wages, but wage increases lead to businesses increasing their prices.

supply shocks aside, there is a negative correlation between inflation and unemployment for a host of complex reasons. so there’s ultimately a trade-off to pick.

unfortunately, the issue is that given businesses also function from the idea that there is such a trade-off, supposing we announce we want to lower unemployment, they raise their prices in anticipation.

it’s a sad system