Fed's Kocherlakota: Talk of rate hikes acts like policy tightening

BISMARCK, N.D. (Reuters) - Even talking about possible interest-rate hikes is problematic because it slows economic and jobs growth, a top Fed official said on Tuesday.

"That conversation in and of itself is a tightening of policy," Minneapolis Fed President Narayana Kocherlakota told reporters after a speech to the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce. "I do worry about the ongoing conversation about tightening monetary policy being a drag on economic performance both in terms of growth and in terms of employment outcomes."

(Reporting by Ann Saphir; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)