NFP and Forex: What is NFP and How to Trade It? (2024)

- Reviewed by James Stanley, Dec. 1, 2021

NFP and Forex Trading: MAIN TALKING POINTS

  • Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP) releases create volatility in the forex market.
  • NFP measures net changes in employment jobs.
  • Forex traders use an economic calendar to prepare for NFP releases.

What is the NFP?

The non-farm payroll (NFP) figure is a key economic indicator for the United States economy. It represents the number of jobs added, excluding farm employees, government employees, private household employees and employees of nonprofit organizations.

NFP and Forex: What is NFP and How to Trade It? (1)

NFP releases generally cause large movements in the forex market. The NFP data is normally released on the first Friday of every month at 8:30 AM ET. This article will explain the role NFPs play in economics and how to apply NFP release data to a forex trading strategy.

How does the NFP affect forex?

NFP data is important because it is released monthly, making it a very good indicator of the current state of the economy. The data is released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the next release can be found on an economic calendar.

Employment is a very important indicator to the Federal Reserve Bank. When unemployment is high, policy makers tend to have an expansionary monetary policy (stimulatory, with low interest rates). The goal of an expansionary monetary policy is to increase economic output and increase employment.

So, if the unemployment rate is higher than usual, the economy is thought to be running below its potential and policy makers will try to stimulate it. A stimulatory monetary policy entails lower interest rates and reduces demand for the Dollar (money flows out of a low yielding currency). To learn exactly how this works, see our article on how interest rates effect forex.

The chart below shows how volatile forex can be after an NFP release. The expected NFP results for March 8, 2019 were 180k (job additions), the actual result disappointed with only 20k jobs being added. As a result, the Dollar Index (DXY) depreciated in value and volatility increased.

NFP and Forex: What is NFP and How to Trade It? (2)

Forex traders must be wary of data releases like the NFP. Traders could get stopped-out due to the sudden increase in volatility. When volatility increases, spreads do too, and increased spreads can lead to margin calls.

Which currency pairs are most affected by NFP

The NFP data is an indicator of American employment, so your currency pairs that include the US Dollar (EUR/USD, USD/JPY, GBP/USD, AUD/USD, USD/CHF and others) are most affected by the data release.

Other currency pairs also display an increase in volatility when the NFP releases, and traders must be aware of this as well, because they may get stopped out. The chart below shows the CAD/JPY during the NFP data release. As you can see, the increase in volatility could stop a trader out of their position even though they are not trading a currency pair linked to the US Dollar.

NFP and Forex: What is NFP and How to Trade It? (3)

Non-farm payroll release dates

The Bureau of Labor statistics normally releases the NFP data on the first Friday of each month at 8:30 AM ET. The release dates can be found on the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s website.

Due to the volatile nature of the NFP release, we recommend using a pull-back strategy rather than a breakout strategy. Using a pullback strategy, traders should wait for the currency pair to retrace before entering a trade.

Using the same example as above (NFP results 20k vs 180k expected) we expect the US Dollar to depreciate. In the example below, we use the EUR/USD. Because the NFP data came out worse than expected, we forecast the EUR/USD to appreciate.

NFP and Forex: What is NFP and How to Trade It? (4)Recommended by David Bradfield Can you benefit from trading off NFP data?Get My Guide

Trading the NFP data releases: Top tips & further reading

Here are a few tips to remember when using NFP data releases to inform your forex trading:

  1. NFP data is released on the first Friday of every month.
  2. The NFP data release is accompanied with increased volatility and widening spreads.
  3. Currency pairs not related to the US Dollar could also see increased volatility and widening spreads.
  4. Trading the NFP data release can be dangerous due to the increase in volatility and possible widening of spreads. To combat this, and to avoid getting stopped-out, we recommend using the appropriate leverage, or no leverage at all.

Other important data releases to watch:

While the NFP generally moves the market, data like CPI (inflation), Fed funds rates, and GDP growth are important data releases too.

If you want to know more about trading the news and data releases, see our trading the news beginner guide. We also suggest reading our traits of successful traders guide to avoid the number one mistake traders make when trading forex.

Further reading on forex fundamentals

We also recommend finding out more about the role of central banks in the forex market, and what central bank interventions involve.

Use the DailyFX economic calendar to keep an eye on all the important economic data releases, including central bank speeches and interest rate data. Don’t forget to bookmark our Central Bank Rates Calendar so you can prepare for regular announcements.

DailyFX provides forex news and technical analysis on the trends that influence the global currency markets.

NFP and Forex: What is NFP and How to Trade It? (2024)

FAQs

NFP and Forex: What is NFP and How to Trade It? ›

Nonfarm payrolls (NFPs) are an important economic indicator related to employment in the U.S. Data released on NFPs can be a catalyst for trade in foreign exchange trades based on changes in employment. Technical analysis can be employed in the NFP report using 5 or 15-minute chart intervals.

How do I trade NFP in forex? ›

Two ways to trade NFP
  1. Before the release: If you place a trade before the figure is revealed, you are using your skills of deductive reasoning to predict which way the market will go before it actually does. ...
  2. After the release: Trading after the release is a little more cautious, but also comes with its own set of risks.

What does NFP do? ›

NFP, an Aon company, is an organization of consultative advisors and problem solvers. We help companies and individuals around the globe address their most significant risk, workforce, wealth management and retirement challenges through custom solutions and a people-first approach.

Is it safe to trade during NFP week? ›

The NFP report is closely watched by traders and investors worldwide as it provides valuable insights into the health of the U.S. labor market and the overall economy. Trading the NFP release can be highly lucrative but also carries significant risks due to its potential to cause volatility in the Forex market.

What is NFP day in trading? ›

The US non-farm payrolls, or 'NFPs', is an official statistic released by the US Department of Labor, usually on the first Friday of every month. The non-farm payrolls measure the number of people currently in employment in the US and are released along with the US unemployment rate.

How do people trade NFP? ›

One way in which traders can consider utilising an OCO order when trading the NFP is by using a breakout strategy. A breakout strategy consists of establishing a range around the price of an asset and then entering a long or short position once the price breaks out of this predetermined range.

What is the best pair to trade for NFP? ›

What Is the NFP Trading Strategy? The NFP report generally affects all major currency pairs, but one of the favorites among traders is the British pound/U.S. dollar (GBP/USD). Because the forex market is open 24 hours a day, all traders can trade on the news event.

How does NFP affect the dollar? ›

If the non-farm payroll figure exceeds market expectations, it tends to create positive sentiment regarding the US economy, reinforcing the US dollar. Conversely, weaker-than-expected employment data can lead to a negative perception of the US economy, potentially weakening the US dollar.

Is NFP a broker dealer? ›

Partners Securities later became NFP Securities, Inc., a full-service broker-dealer. Partners Benefits is formed so the producer group has a channel through which to offer employee and executive benefits to its clients. Partners Benefits later becomes NFP Benefits and NFP Benefits Partners.

What time does NFP start? ›

NFP Definition

It is released usually on the first Friday of each month, at 8:30 EST. It is published by the US Department of Labor. This report is important because the US is the largest economy in the world and its currency (US Dollar) is the global reserve currency.

How to read NFP? ›

How to Read the NFP? The NFP measures the number of jobs created or lost in the U.S. economy over the prior month. For example, -1000K means 100,000 jobs were lost in all non-agricultural businesses. To get a feel for the employment situation, it's good to review the history of previous NFP releases.

What happens when NFP is high? ›

Non-Farm Payroll Data

The increase is an indication that the economy is growing when non-farm payrolls are expanding but this may lead to an increase in inflation. That may be viewed as a negative for the economy if increases in non-farm payroll occur at a fast rate.

How to buy NFP? ›

Binance offers many options where you can easily buy several cryptocurrencies including NFPrompt, with the lowest fees and highest security. Create a free account on the Binance website or the app. Binance is a centralized exchange where you can buy several cryptocurrencies including NFPrompt.

When should I buy or sell NFP? ›

Step 1: 30 minutes before the NFP release, open the chart and find the highest high and the lowest low for the last four hours. Step 2: Place two pending orders on both sides: a buy pending order at least 5-10 pips above the highest high and a sell pending order 5-10 pips below the lowest low in that range.

What are the best months to trade forex? ›

This makes autumn months one of the best times of the year to trade forex. By the second half of December, trading activity slows down again, much like in August. The few weeks before and after Christmas are the slowest, and it's not until mid-January that the markets start to pick up again.

How does NFP affect gold? ›

The NFP report plays a crucial role in the Federal Reserve's monetary policy decisions. Positive employment data may lead to expectations of tightening monetary policy, including potential interest rate hikes. Such expectations can strengthen the US Dollar and decrease gold prices.

What time is the NFP in forex? ›

NFP Definition

It is released usually on the first Friday of each month, at 8:30 EST. It is published by the US Department of Labor. This report is important because the US is the largest economy in the world and its currency (US Dollar) is the global reserve currency.

How many pips does NFP usually move? ›

How many pips does the NFP usually move? The first hour following the release of non-farm payrolls data usually sees the EUR/USD currency pair move by 50 pips and the USD/JPY currency pair move by 64 pips.

What days are NFP in forex? ›

It is usually released on the first Friday of the month, in an Employment Situation report that also includes the US unemployment rate, average hourly earnings, and participation rate. Although its importance has dimmed somewhat in recent years, the NFP is still one of the most significant economic indicators.

At what time is NFP today? ›

The Bureau of Labor statistics normally releases the NFP data on the first Friday of every month at 8:30 AM ET, which is 13:30pm UK time. You can keep track of upcoming Non-Farm Payroll releases, along with other important events using ourfree Forex calendar. Want to see all the upcoming economic events?

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