About US Jobs Report (Employment Situation)
The Employment Situation — the jobs report, or non-farm payrolls — is the first full read on the US economy each month, and for many traders the single most important number on the calendar. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes it at 8:30 AM Eastern, most often on the first Friday of the month. The countdown above tracks the next release in your timezone.
Its power comes from the Federal Reserve having two jobs, not one: stable prices and maximum employment. A labour market running hot argues for keeping rates high; one that cracks argues for cutting, fast. That is why a payrolls number well away from forecasts moves bond yields, mortgage rates, equity futures and crypto within the same minute, and why a weak report can lift stocks — bad news for the economy, good news for rate cuts.
Three figures carry the release: the change in non-farm payrolls, the unemployment rate, and average hourly earnings, which is the wage-inflation signal. Revisions to the previous two months regularly matter as much as the headline, and are a common reason the market reverses after the first reaction.
Upcoming dates
| 2026 | Friday, November 6, 2026next |
| 2026 | Friday, December 4, 2026 |
FAQ
When is the next jobs report?
US Jobs Report (Employment Situation) is on Friday, November 6, 2026 at 8:30 AM EST. That is 29 days from today. The BLS publishes the Employment Situation at 8:30 AM Eastern, most often on the first Friday of the month, covering the previous month. Upcoming dates are listed above.
What time is the jobs report released?
8:30 AM Eastern Time. The countdown above shows that moment in your own timezone.
What is in the jobs report?
Non-farm payroll growth, the unemployment rate and average hourly earnings, plus revisions to the previous two months — which often move markets as much as the headline.
Why can a weak jobs report lift stocks?
Because it raises the odds of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates. Markets are pricing policy as much as the economy itself.