Quantitative easing and other unconventional monetary policies: Bank of England conference summary

In November 2011, the Bank of England held a conference to discuss the lessons learned about quantitative easing and the other unconventional monetary policies used during the global financial crisis. A number of central bank economists and academics presented their research. This article summarises the presentations made at the conference and some of the related discussions. Overall, the research presented broadly supported the emerging consensus that unconventional monetary policies helped to mitigate the macroeconomic effects of the crisis. But there was less agreement about the magnitude of the effects and the main mechanisms through which the policies may have worked, and a number of areas for further research were suggested.