* Trading is risky. Capital at risk.
What happened at the last non-farm payrolls report?
The US added 130,000 jobs in January, significantly above December's figure of 48,000 and also well above forecasts of 70,000.
US unemployment dropped to 4.3%, slightly down from 4.4% in December.
Forecast
70,000
Actual
130,000
Previous
48,000
When is the next Fed meeting?
Next Fed meeting
When is the next non-farm payrolls report?
NFP data is usually released at 8.30am (EST) on the first Friday of every month. Here are the key dates for your diary in 2026.
Date | Time (EST) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
January Release | February 6th | 8.30AM | |
February Release | March 6th | 8.30AM | |
March Release | April 3rd | 8.30AM | |
April Release | May 8th | 8.30AM | |
May Release | June 5th | 8.30AM | |
June Release | July 2nd | 8.30AM | |
July Release | August 7th | 8.30AM | |
August Release | September 4th | 8.30AM | |
September Release | October 2nd | 8.30AM | |
October Release | November 6th | 8.30AM | |
November Release | December 4th | 8.30AM |
What is non-farm payrolls?
The non-farm payrolls is the official monthly release of US employment figures. As the name suggests, it doesn’t include farm workers, and also excludes private households and non-profit workers.
The NFP report is a significant indicator of the health of the US economy. It provides invaluable insight into how US consumers are doing and what the Federal Reserve might do with interest rates.
How to trade non-farm payrolls
Traders take a keen interest in the non-farm payrolls as it’s historically caused sudden, significant price movements in the market, giving rise to potential trading opportunities.
Economists will attempt to predict what the headline NFP figure will be each month, usually arriving at a consensus estimate. If the actual figure deviates significantly from the estimate, this tends to create more market volatility.
The US dollar, US indices and commodities such as gold are particularly sensitive to the NFP report.
Watch our guide to trading non-farm payrolls
Quickly learn the essentials for trading non-farm payrolls, including:
- how to prepare
- recognising trends
- avoiding common pitfalls like emotional trading
- how to manage your risk.
Trading non-farm payrolls in 3 steps
Review market expectations
Familiarise yourself with the latest market forecasts to help plan and make decisions.
Review price charts
Review pre-market price charts. Identify key support and resistance zones.
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