The US Federal Reserve has kept interest rates unchanged, but downplayed global economic headwinds and left the door open to tightening monetary policy at its next meeting in December.
Its key interest rate remains at 0-0.25%.
Following a two-day policy meeting, the US central bank said it was still monitoring economic and financial developments abroad, but did not repeat that global risks would have a likely impact on the US economy, as it warned at its last meeting in September.
That omission marked a softening in tone compared to the Fed's statement last month.
The Fed's policy-setting committee also noted that US job growth had slowed and the unemployment rate had held steady. It repeated in its statement that "underutilisation of labour resources has diminished.
"The committee continues to see the risks to the outlook for economic activity and the labour market as nearly balanced," the Fed said in its statement.
It added that the US economy has been expanding at a moderate pace.
Most Fed policymakers have said they expect to raise rates in 2015, but two broke ranks with Fed Chair Janet Yellen this month, questioning her view that labour market tightness will fuel inflation and overheat the economy.
They urged caution rather than a rate increase, arguing that a weakening global economy could sap US economic growth and keep inflation too low.
The Fed has struggled to convince sceptical investors that a rate hike is imminent. Before Wednesday's meeting, financial markets saw virtually no chance it would raise rates this week and only a 34% chance of such a move in December. A rate hike was generally not expected until March.
A narrow majority of economists polled by Reuters predicted a rate increase in December.
The main stumbling block is that US economic growth has been generally tepid and inflation low even though unemployment has fallen.
