Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen braved mounting opposition inside and outside the U.S. central bank and again delayed an interest-rate increase to give the economy more room to run.

While agreeing that the case for a rate rise had strengthened, Yellen on Wednesday argued that it made sense to put off a move for now amid signs that discouraged Americans who dropped out of the labor market are returning and looking for work.

"The economy has a little more room to run than might have been previously thought," Yellen told a press conference in Washington after the Fed's two-day meeting, as she explained the decision to keep rates on hold. "That's good news."

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