US Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP)
The monthly US jobs report, and one of the most market-moving and volatile releases of the month.
- Published by
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) — the Employment Situation report
- Frequency
- Monthly
- When
- Usually the first Friday of the month, for the previous month. Holidays can move it, so check the BLS schedule.
- Time
- 8:30 a.m. New York time: 15:30 in Mecca/Riyadh while the US is on daylight time (March to November), 16:30 otherwise.
What is NFP?
It counts the jobs added or lost outside farming during the month. The same report carries the unemployment rate and average hourly earnings.
Why does it move markets?
A strong labour market means a strong economy and pressure on wages and inflation, which argues for keeping rates high, so markets read it alongside CPI to guess the Fed's next move. The three headline numbers can point in different directions, which is why the first minutes are often whipsaw.
What traders watch
- Payrolls against the forecast.
- Average hourly earnings — an early read on inflation.
- The unemployment rate, and revisions to the previous two months.
Most affected instruments
Official schedule
Exact release dates are published in advance by the issuer:
BLS Employment Situation scheduleNext release in the economic calendar
From TradingView, in your device's time zone. Look for “NFP” in the list.
Before you trade the release
- Spreads widen sharply in the minutes around the release, and orders can fill at a worse price than asked (slippage).
- Some brokers raise margin or restrict orders around major news. Read your broker's terms beforehand.
- The first move can reverse within minutes. Set your position size and stop before the number comes out, not after.
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All indicatorsEducational explanation, not investment advice. Market reactions to any release are not guaranteed and can run against the usual pattern.