The U.S. Non-Farm Payroll report is released the first Friday of every month. Our macro desk positions strategically in advance of each release.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the Non-Farm Payroll report on the first Friday of every month at 8:30 AM EST. It measures the number of jobs added or lost in the U.S. economy — excluding farm workers, government employees, and non-profit employees.
The report is the single biggest monthly driver of USD volatility across all major pairs. A reading far above consensus triggers USD buying across the board. A miss sends the dollar lower, and risk assets spike. The window of maximum volatility typically lasts 60–90 minutes after the release.
Institutional desks worldwide position in the 24–48 hours before release. Our team has been doing this since 2012. We do not chase the spike — we position before it.
Twelve years of NFP-specific methodology — disciplined pre-release positioning, not reactive trading.
Chasing the NFP spike is amateur hour. We study the ADP Employment Report, initial jobless claims, and consumer confidence data in the week before NFP. Our position is established before the release — not scrambled in after the spike has already moved 80 pips.
| Date | Event | Forecast | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 29 Apr | Consumer Confidence | 103.5 | MED |
| Wed 30 Apr | ADP Employment | 165K | HIGH |
| Thu 01 May | Initial Jobless Claims | 221K | MED |
| Fri 02 May | NFP Release | 190K | HIGH |
Sample pre-NFP calendar · May 2025
Returns from NFP trading are credited monthly following each event. Because this is an event-driven strategy, position sizes are conservative and exposure is capped per-event to limit drawdown on unexpected outcomes.
| Month | NFP Actual | Direction | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2024 | 353K | Long USD | +4.1% |
| Feb 2024 | 275K | Long USD | +2.8% |
| Mar 2024 | 303K | Long USD | +3.5% |
| Apr 2024 | 175K | Short USD | +1.9% |
| May 2024 | 218K | Long USD | +2.4% |
| Jun 2024 | 147K | Short USD | -0.8% |
Illustrative returns · Jan–Jun 2024
We position ahead of every first-Friday release. These are the dates your account will be active.
NFP event exposure is allocated across all plan tiers. Expert and Gold plans receive dedicated NFP position sizing with higher event allocation.
| Plan | Minimum | ROI | Cycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trial | $500 | 5% | 7 days |
| Promo | $1,000 | 10% | 14 days |
| Expert | $5,000 | 20% | 21 days |
| Gold | $20,000 | 40% | 30 days |
Open an account and let our macro desk manage your exposure around the world's highest-impact forex event.