How does EUR/USD react to the US unemployment rate?
In the first 30 minutes after the US unemployment rate, EUR/USD has typically moved 19 pips either way (the median of the last 23 releases, 1 Nov 2024 to 2 Oct 2026), and 22 pips after 4 hours. The first move held to the close on 15 of 22 releases. When it came in above the forecast, EUR/USD fell in the first 30 minutes on 3 of 6, median −1.4 pips. When it came in below the forecast, EUR/USD fell in the first 30 minutes on 5 of 8, median −13 pips. The largest first-30-minute move was +146 pips on 1 Aug 2025.
What the numbers say
The first half hour has carried most of the move, with the typical 4-hour move 19% larger than the first 30 minutes. The first reaction held to the close 68% of the time, close to a coin flip. Below forecast prints have moved it more than above ones (median −13 pips against −1.4 pips).
The last 12 releases
Each row is one US unemployment release: the figure against the forecast, then EUR/USD over the first 30 minutes and the first 4 hours, then the whole release day (the close the day before to the close of the release day).
| Release | Actual vs forecast | First 30 min | First 4 hours | Release-day close |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct 2026 (Sep) | 4.2% vs 4.1% missed | +7.6 pips | −2.5 pips | +5.7 pips |
| 4 Sep 2026 (Aug) | 4.1% vs 4.1% in line | +8.1 pips | +31 pips | −15 pips |
| 7 Aug 2026 (Jul) | 4.1% vs 4.2% beat | +9.4 pips | −1.3 pips | +33 pips |
| 2 Jul 2026 (Jun) | 4.2% vs 4.3% beat | +48 pips | +44 pips | +46 pips |
| 5 Jun 2026 (May) | 4.3% vs 4.3% in line | −55 pips | −112 pips | −90 pips |
| 8 May 2026 (Apr) | 4.3% vs 4.3% in line | +8.3 pips | +8.3 pips | +38 pips |
| 3 Apr 2026 (Mar) | 4.3% vs 4.4% beat | −16 pips | −24 pips | −32 pips |
| 6 Mar 2026 (Feb) | 4.4% vs 4.3% missed | 0.0 pips | +48 pips | −82 pips |
| 11 Feb 2026 (Jan) | 4.3% vs 4.4% beat | −38 pips | −17 pips | −13 pips |
| 9 Jan 2026 (Dec) | 4.4% vs 4.5% beat | +8.1 pips | −8.1 pips | −33 pips |
| 16 Dec 2025 (Nov) | 4.6% vs 4.4% missed | −2.8 pips | −9.7 pips | −5.4 pips |
| 20 Nov 2025 (Sep) | 4.4% vs 4.3% missed | +15 pips | +21 pips | −5.3 pips |
Sources: Yahoo Finance 5-minute and hourly bars, the TradingView economic calendar (actual and forecast), Yahoo Finance daily bars for the release day. Gold is COMEX futures, US indices are CME futures.
How traders prepare for US unemployment
- US unemployment has landed at 8:30 New York on most of these releases. Every window on this page is measured from that minute.
- The 4 hours before the print drifted the same way as the move after it on 9 of 22 releases, so the drift in has said little about the move after.
- The typical first-hour range, high to low, has been 39 pips. A stop or a limit order closer than that to the price at the print has usually been reached by the release noise alone.
- Over the longer run, since 8 Jan 2016: on 40 releases above the forecast EUR/USD closed the day higher 20 of 40 times; on 55 releases below the forecast EUR/USD closed the day lower 36 of 55 times. That is the whole day, other news included.
- The prices are mid quotes from intraday bars, not a broker's fill: spreads widen around a release, so a real order can fill worse than these numbers.
The next release
The next scheduled US unemployment release is 6 Nov 2026 at 8:30 New York (13:30 UTC), on the public economic calendar. This page refreshes on its own once that release has been measured.
See this before every release, free
The free section's calendar Playbook shows this same history on every release before it prints: what EUR/USD and the other main markets did on hotter and cooler figures, and the first hours after.
Open the free section →FAQ
How much does EUR/USD move after US unemployment?
Over the last 23 releases the median first-30-minute move was 19 pips and the median 4-hour move was 22 pips. It rose in the first 30 minutes on 11 and fell on 11.
What does EUR/USD do when US unemployment beats or misses the forecast?
When it came in above the forecast, EUR/USD fell in the first 30 minutes on 3 of 6, median −1.4 pips. When it came in below the forecast, EUR/USD fell in the first 30 minutes on 5 of 8, median −13 pips.
Does the first move after US unemployment hold?
On 15 of 22 releases the first 30 minutes and the close moved the same way.
When is the next US unemployment release?
6 Nov 2026 at 8:30 New York (13:30 UTC), on the public economic calendar.