US Employment Situation (Nonfarm Payrolls): release dates and time
Monthly · 8:30 a.m. ET, usually a Friday · Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Next NFP release
Official schedule · no forecasts
November 2026 jobs report (NFP)
Fri 4 Dec 2026 · 8:30 a.m. ET · Fri 4 Dec 2026 · 8:30 a.m. ET · 13:30 UTC
The live countdown needs JavaScript, which a translated copy does not run. The release time above is the official one: open the original page for the countdown.
Often watched inGoldForexUS dollar
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics schedules the NFP releases for 2 Oct 2026, 6 Nov 2026 and 4 Dec 2026, each at 8:30 a.m. ET. Times convert to 12:30 UTC before and 13:30 UTC after the US clock change on 1 November. Source: the BLS schedule, checked 23 Sep 2026.
Scheduled NFP releases
| Date (ET) | Time (ET) | UTC | Your time | In | Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week of 28 Sep 2026 | |||||
| Fri 2 Oct 2026 | 8:30 a.m. ET | 12:30 UTC | — | NFP September 2026 jobs report (NFP) BLS | |
| Week of 2 Nov 2026 | |||||
| Fri 6 Nov 2026 | 8:30 a.m. ET | 13:30 UTC | — | NFP October 2026 jobs report (NFP) BLS | |
| Week of 30 Nov 2026 | |||||
| Fri 4 Dec 2026 | 8:30 a.m. ET | 13:30 UTC | — | NFP November 2026 jobs report (NFP) BLS | |
Past releases are hidden.
Official schedule: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dates can change; the agency's page is the authority.
What it is
The Employment Situation report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics contains nonfarm payroll employment, from a survey of employers, and the unemployment rate, from a survey of households. Traders call it NFP. It is published at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time, usually on a Friday.
Markets that often watch it: Gold, Forex, US dollar.
How markets tend to use it
Analysis, not a forecast
- The headline payroll change is compared with expectations; revisions to previous months and wage growth can matter as much as the headline.
- For the US dollar and gold, the channel is what the report implies for Federal Reserve policy. A strong report does not always move markets the same way.
- Volatility around the release can be sharp, especially in the first minutes.
Before the release: a short checklist
- Note the release time in your own time zone (shown above).
- Look at both the payroll change and the unemployment rate; they come from different surveys and can disagree.
- Decide your risk before the release: spreads can widen and prices can gap past stops.
- If you trade a funded account, check your firm's news rule for NFP first.
Size the trade for the stop you would actually use around a release with the position size calculator.
Trading NFP in a funded account?
Prop firms restrict trading around some news, but only in some phases and on some account types. What their own pages said on 23 Sep 2026:
- FTMO: FTMO's FAQ names US Non-Farm Employment among its restricted events. On a Standard FTMO Account (not during the evaluation) there is a 2-minute window before and after it.
- FundingPips: on master accounts, profits from trades in a 5-minute window around high-impact news (10 minutes around speeches) may be deducted; purposely trading news is prohibited in all phases. High-impact events in the FundingPips Economic Calendar on the trader dashboard.
Rules change and differ by account type. VERIFY CURRENT DATA on the firm's own page before you trade.
Compare news trading rulesRelease-day rules for funded accounts: NFP 6 Nov 2026: FTMO and FundingPips News Rules · NFP 2 Oct 2026: Prop Firm News Rules Compared
AdChoosing an account for NFP day?
FTMO's FAQ names US Non-Farm Employment among its restricted events. On a Standard FTMO Account that means no opening or closing trades for 2 minutes before and after; Swing accounts have no news restriction. Read the rules for your account type before you choose.
See FTMO plans and feesDisclosure: Some links on this website are affiliate links. If you use them, we may receive compensation at no additional cost to you. This does not determine our editorial analysis, reviews or comparisons.
AdSet alerts before NFP
Mark your levels and set price alerts on a chart before the release, so you are not reacting to the first spike. Check TradingView's current plans on the official site.
Explore TradingViewDisclosure: Some links on this website are affiliate links. If you use them, we may receive compensation at no additional cost to you. This does not determine our editorial analysis, reviews or comparisons.
Related
Frequently asked questions
When is the next NFP release?
The BLS schedule lists the remaining 2026 Employment Situation releases on 2 October (September data), 6 November (October data) and 4 December (November data), each at 8:30 a.m. ET.
What does NFP stand for?
Nonfarm payrolls: the change in the number of paid employees in the US, excluding farm workers and some other groups, from the BLS survey of employers.
What time is the jobs report released?
8:30 a.m. US Eastern time: 12:30 UTC while the US is on daylight time and 13:30 UTC from 1 November 2026.
Can I trade NFP in a prop firm account?
Rules differ. FTMO's FAQ lists US Non-Farm Employment among restricted events for Standard FTMO Accounts. FundingPips applies its own windows on funded accounts. See our comparison and the firms' current pages.
Sources (2)
ShowHide
Official or primary sources used for the facts above. Figures and terms change, so check the source before acting on them.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Schedule of Releases for the Employment SituationAccessed
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — 2026 Release Schedule (October–December)Accessed
Written by
Volodymyr KravchenkoIndependent market researcher focused on Forex, Gold, commodities, macroeconomic data and AI-powered financial intelligence.
- Forex, gold and oil market research
- Macroeconomic data analysis
- Search-data and SEO analysis
- Website and data-tool building
Educational research, not personal advice. See our editorial policy and methodology.
This content is provided for educational purposes only and is not investment advice. Trading involves risk, and past performance does not guarantee future results. Affiliate relationships may exist. Always conduct your own independent research before making financial decisions.