Week ahead, 28 Sep–2 Oct: GDP, PCE and the September jobs report
Next week's scheduled US releases: GDP and PCE on Wednesday 30 September, jobless claims on Thursday and the September jobs report on Friday 2 October.
By Volodymyr Kravchenko Published 2 min read
Short answer
Three days carry the scheduled US data next week. On Wednesday 30 September the BEA publishes the third estimate of Q2 GDP and August personal income and outlays, including the PCE price index, at 8:30 a.m. ET, and the EIA oil report follows at 10:30. Weekly jobless claims come on Thursday. The September jobs report is out on Friday 2 October at 8:30 a.m. ET.
Key takeaways
- Wednesday 30 Sep, 8:30 a.m. ET (12:30 UTC): Q2 GDP third estimate and August PCE, both from the BEA.
- Wednesday 30 Sep, 10:30 a.m. ET: EIA Weekly Petroleum Status Report.
- Friday 2 Oct, 8:30 a.m. ET: September Employment Situation (NFP) from the BLS.
- FTMO names non-farm employment, GDP and crude oil inventories among its restricted-event examples for Standard FTMO Accounts.
What is scheduled
| Day (ET) | Time ET | UTC | Release | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 30 Sep | 8:30 a.m. | 12:30 | GDP, Q2 2026, third estimate | BEA |
| Wed 30 Sep | 8:30 a.m. | 12:30 | Personal Income and Outlays, August 2026 (PCE price index) | BEA |
| Wed 30 Sep | 10:30 a.m. | 14:30 | Weekly Petroleum Status Report | EIA |
| Thu 1 Oct | 8:30 a.m. | 12:30 | Unemployment insurance weekly claims | DOL |
| Fri 2 Oct | 8:30 a.m. | 12:30 | Employment Situation, September 2026 | BLS |
The US is on daylight time until 1 November, so 8:30 a.m. ET is 12:30 UTC this week. Your own time zone is shown on the economic calendar.
Why these releases matter (analysis)
PCE is the Fed’s inflation gauge. The Federal Reserve defines its 2% goal with the PCE price index, not CPI. That is why the August PCE figures on Wednesday are watched for what they imply about the path of rates, which is the main scheduled channel into the US dollar and gold.
The GDP number is a revision. Wednesday’s GDP figure is the third estimate of a quarter that has already been reported twice. In our view it usually carries less new information than the advance estimate, which for Q3 is scheduled for 29 October.
Friday is the main event. The September jobs report is the week’s biggest scheduled release for the dollar, gold and index futures. As with any release, the reaction tends to follow the gap between the figure and expectations, not the figure itself. We do not publish forecasts or consensus numbers.
Oil has its own Wednesday. The EIA report at 10:30 a.m. ET is the regular scheduled data point for WTI and Brent. See how to read the EIA inventory report.
Before you trade these releases
- Convert the times to your own time zone and mark them on your chart.
- Mark recent highs and lows before 8:30 a.m. ET, not after the first move.
- Spreads can widen and prices can gap through stop orders around releases. Size positions for that.
- On a funded account, check your firm’s news rule first. FTMO’s help page lists US non-farm employment, GDP and crude oil inventories among its examples of restricted events for the Standard FTMO Account. FundedNext and FundingPips apply their own windows. Compare them on our prop firm news rules page.
1 October is also the first day of the US federal fiscal year. If federal funding lapses, statistical agencies can postpone releases, so check the BLS and BEA pages on the morning. VERIFY CURRENT DATA before trading any of these times.
Facts in this item come from the official sources below; sections marked "analysis" are our interpretation, not advice. Nothing here is a trading signal. Read our editorial policy and methodology.
Mark your levels before the release
Set price alerts on a chart before 8:30 a.m. ET so you are not reacting to the first move. Check TradingView's current plans on the official site.
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Sources (6)
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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 Economic Analysis — Release ScheduleGDP (third estimate) Q2 2026 and Personal Income and Outlays, August 2026: 30 September, 8:30 a.m.Accessed
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Schedule of Releases for the Employment SituationSeptember 2026 data: 2 October, 8:30 a.m.Accessed
- U.S. Department of Labor — Unemployment Insurance Weekly ClaimsReleased Thursdays at 8:30 a.m. Eastern.Accessed
- U.S. Energy Information Administration — Weekly Petroleum Status Report: release scheduleAccessed
- Federal Reserve — Why does the Federal Reserve aim for inflation of 2 percent over the longer run?The 2% goal is measured with the PCE price index.Accessed
- FTMO — Can I trade news?Accessed
Written by
Volodymyr KravchenkoIndependent market researcher focused on Forex, Gold, commodities, macroeconomic data and AI-powered financial intelligence.
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Educational research, not personal advice. See our editorial policy and methodology.
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