Fed's Jefferson: Trouble among small, regional banks could hit small businesses

U.S. Senate Banking Committee holds hearing for Federal Reserve nominees on Capitol Hill in Washington
Dr. Philip Nathan Jefferson, of North Carolina, nominated to be a Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, listens during a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 3, 2022. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno/Pool

LEXINGTON, Virginia, March 27 (Reuters) - The shuffling of deposits from small to large banks could have a disproportionate impact on U.S. small businesses who depend heavily on community and regional financial institutions for credit, Federal Reserve Governor Philip Jefferson said on Monday.

"We are focused on the macroeconomy but we are aware that there are potential distributional aspects," if depositors move cash away from smaller banks, Jefferson said.

Recent banking sector stress has led to declining deposits at smaller institutions and "we are going to have to see how that plays out," Jefferson said.

Reporting by Howard Schneider Editing by Chris Reese

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Read Next