Employment Situation: how futures reacted
Latest check: 2026-10-13. Verify figures and dates on the agency's site.
What it is
The Employment Situation reports payroll employment and unemployment, with this series using the monthly change in total nonfarm payrolls from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is released monthly, usually at 08:30 ET; the official schedule is https://www.bls.gov/schedule/2026/home.htm.
Published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
When it comes out
- Usual time: 08:30 ET
- How often: monthly
- Next scheduled dates: Fri, Nov 6, 2026; Fri, Dec 4, 2026
- Official schedule: www.bls.gov/schedule/2026/home.htm
Past releases
| Date | Actual | Prior | Nasdaq (MNQ) | S&P 500 (MES) | Gold (MGC) | Crude (MCL) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 min | 30 min | 60 min | 5 min | 30 min | 60 min | 5 min | 30 min | 60 min | 5 min | 30 min | 60 min | |||
| 2026-10-02 08:30 ET | 29 thousands | 133 thousands | +129.75 +0.42% | +180.25 +0.58% | +159.50 +0.51% | +28.75 +0.37% | +34.50 +0.44% | +26.50 +0.34% | +36.1 +0.86% | +31.0 +0.74% | +6.3 +0.15% | -0.41 -0.46% | -0.51 -0.57% | -0.67 -0.75% |
| 2026-09-04 08:30 ET | 162 thousands | 21 thousands | -124.50 -0.42% | -131.75 -0.44% | -89.50 -0.30% | -21.25 -0.27% | -20.75 -0.27% | -17.00 -0.22% | -77.4 -1.71% | -78.4 -1.73% | -59.7 -1.32% | +0.04 +0.04% | -0.43 -0.48% | -0.21 -0.23% |
| 2026-08-07 08:30 ET | -23 thousands | 20 thousands | No data | |||||||||||
Moves are in index or price points from the price at the release time, with the percentage underneath. Markets: Nasdaq (MNQ), S&P 500 (MES), Gold (MGC), Crude (MCL). Actual and prior are first-print values in thousands.
Typical reaction
- Across the 2 releases since 2026-09-04, Nasdaq (MNQ)'s median 30-minute move was 156 points (0.51%). It was up 30 minutes later in 1 of 2.
- Across the 2 releases since 2026-09-04, S&P 500 (MES)'s median 30-minute move was 27.63 points (0.35%). It was up 30 minutes later in 1 of 2.
- Across the 2 releases since 2026-09-04, Gold (MGC)'s median 30-minute move was 54.7 points (1.23%). It was up 30 minutes later in 1 of 2.
- Across the 2 releases since 2026-09-04, Crude (MCL)'s median 30-minute move was 0.47 points (0.52%). It was up 30 minutes later in 0 of 2.
| Market | Releases with data | Median absolute 30-min move | Higher | Lower |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasdaq (MNQ) | 2 | 156 pts (0.51%) | 1 (50%) | 1 (50%) |
| S&P 500 (MES) | 2 | 27.63 pts (0.35%) | 1 (50%) | 1 (50%) |
| Gold (MGC) | 2 | 54.7 pts (1.23%) | 1 (50%) | 1 (50%) |
| Crude (MCL) | 2 | 0.47 pts (0.52%) | 0 (0%) | 2 (100%) |
Computed only from our own one-minute prices, measured from the price at the release time. Small samples describe what happened; they do not describe what will happen.
Sources
- Employment Situation — July 2026 - checked 2026-10-13
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/empsit_08072026.htm - Employment Situation — August 2026 - checked 2026-10-13
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/empsit_09042026.htm - Employment Situation — September 2026 - checked 2026-10-13
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/empsit_10022026.htm - BLS 2026 release schedule - checked 2026-10-13
https://www.bls.gov/schedule/2026/home.htm