NFP Jobs Report and Gold
When the US jobs report (NFP) comes out, why it moves gold, and how gold actually reacted the last 12 times, from real hourly prices. Next release in your time zone, with a countdown and a calendar reminder.
US jobs report (NFP):
Fri 6 Nov 2026, 8:30 am New York time · source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics
The time above is shown in your own time zone. The calendar file holds this release with a reminder 15 minutes before; it works in Apple, Google and Outlook calendars.
How gold reacted the last 12 times
- Average release-hour move
- $30.2 (0.70%)
- Average release-hour range
- $57.4
- Release hour closed higher
- 8 of 12
- Average session move
- 1.19% ($52.7)
- Gold closed the session higher
- 7 of 12
- Average session range
- $103.7
Averages of the absolute moves (ignoring direction) in the table above, computed when the page was built. Past reactions do not predict the direction of the next one.
| Release (New York date) | Release hourmove | Release hourhigh–low | Gold that sessionclose to close | Session rangehigh–low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 2 Oct 20268:30 am NY | +$36.6+0.87% | $54.6 | −1.08%−$45.5 | $105.2 |
| Fri 4 Sep 20268:30 am NY | −$72.5−1.61% | $104.5 | −0.96%−$43.4 | $125.8 |
| Fri 7 Aug 20268:30 am NY | +$41.1+0.94% | $71.3 | +2.35%+$101.0 | $144.3 |
| Thu 2 Jul 20268:30 am NY | +$53.0+1.30% | $80.8 | +2.25%+$90.9 | $114.3 |
| Fri 5 Jun 20268:30 am NY | −$64.9−1.44% | $72.7 | −3.05%−$137.1 | $172.1 |
| Fri 8 May 20268:30 am NY | +$6.6+0.14% | $32.0 | +0.74%+$34.7 | $89.4 |
| Fri 6 Mar 20268:30 am NY · with Retail sales | +$1.9+0.04% | $66.1 | +1.28%+$65.4 | $114.0 |
| Wed 11 Feb 20268:30 am NY | −$17.6−0.34% | $78.7 | +1.19%+$59.9 | $108.2 |
| Fri 9 Jan 20268:30 am NY | +$17.5+0.39% | $33.8 | +0.29%+$13.0 | $65.2 |
| Tue 16 Dec 20258:30 am NY · with Retail sales | +$19.3+0.45% | $23.9 | −0.05%−$2.1 | $70.5 |
| Thu 20 Nov 20258:30 am NY | −$1.5−0.04% | $30.1 | −0.04%−$1.6 | $75.6 |
| Fri 5 Sep 20258:30 am NY | +$30.0+0.83% | $40.6 | +1.04%+$37.4 | $60.1 |
Prices: COMEX gold futures (GC=F) 1-hour bars via Yahoo Finance, dollars per ounce. Release hour = the 1-hour bar that contains the release, from the close of the hour before. Session = the COMEX day the release falls in (6 pm New York the evening before to 5 pm New York), against the previous session’s close. Session closes are the last hourly price before 5 pm New York, not the 1:30 pm settlement, so afternoon releases such as Fed decisions are inside the move. Not in the table because COMEX gold had no trading in that hour (exchange holiday): Fri 3 Apr 2026.
Get reminded
Two free ways, no account needed. Add the next release to your own calendar with the buttons above, or get Gold Daily: once a day, Mon–Sat, it lists the next big event in your time zone with today’s gold levels.
What is the US jobs report (NFP)?
The Employment Situation report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics: nonfarm payrolls (NFP, the number of jobs added), the unemployment rate and average hourly earnings for the previous month. The next NFP release is on Fri 6 Nov 2026 at 8:30 am New York time ( in your time zone).
When does it come out?
Monthly, usually on the first Friday of the month, at 8:30 am New York time. Holidays and government shutdowns can move it. Dates come from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics; we only list a date once it is on the official schedule.
Why does it move gold?
The jobs market is half of the Fed's mandate. Strong payrolls or fast wage growth make rate cuts less likely (or hikes more likely), which tends to lift yields and the dollar and weigh on gold; weak numbers tend to do the opposite. Because payrolls are noisy and revised, gold often whipsaws in the first minutes as traders weigh payrolls against wages and unemployment.
What moves the price is the surprise: the gap between the number and what the market expected. We do not show consensus forecasts, because they come from commercial surveys we cannot republish, and we never guess them.
What traders look at
- Payrolls against the forecast, and revisions to the two previous months
- The unemployment rate
- Average hourly earnings, the wage-inflation part of the report
- The first move often retraces within the hour
What the history table shows
Across the last 12 times, gold’s release hour moved $30.2 on average (0.70%), with an average high–low range of $57.4 in that hour. Over the whole session gold moved 1.19% on average and closed higher 7 of 12 times. The table uses COMEX gold futures, which trade a few dollars above spot gold (XAUUSD) but move almost identically. For an 8:30 am release the release hour is the 8:00–9:00 am New York bar, so it includes 30 minutes before the number. Rows marked “with” show other releases that came out at the same minute: gold’s move that hour is the combined reaction.
How traders prepare (education)
- Know the time in your zone. The countdown above converts it for you; add it to your calendar so it does not catch you mid-trade.
- Size for the release hour. Compare the average release-hour range above with your stop. The position size calculator shows the lot size that keeps the risk the same with a wider stop.
- Decide before the number. Stand aside, reduce size or wait for the first spike to settle: pick one in advance. See the gold news trading lesson.
- Check the week. The weekly gold cheat sheet lists this week’s events and levels; the market scoreboard shows the dollar and yields gold reacts to.
Related reading
- How to trade gold on NFP day
- NFP day gold playbook
- Gold on NFP days: the study
- NFP time in your zone
- NFP and gold tracker
- All gold event pages
- Gold economic calendar
- Gold event centre: next three weeks
Frequently asked questions
When is the next NFP release?
Fri 6 Nov 2026 at 8:30 am New York time (13:30 UTC), according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The page shows it in your own time zone with a countdown.
What time is the NFP released?
Monthly, usually on the first Friday of the month, at 8:30 am New York time. Holidays and government shutdowns can move it.
Does the NFP push gold up or down?
It depends on the surprise, not the number itself. Strong payrolls or fast wage growth make rate cuts less likely (or hikes more likely), which tends to lift yields and the dollar and weigh on gold; weak numbers tend to do the opposite. What else is moving yields and the dollar that day matters too, so the same kind of surprise does not always move gold the same way.
How much does gold move on NFP?
Over the last 12 times, gold’s release hour moved $30.2 on average (0.70%), with an average range of $57.4. Over the full session it moved 1.19% on average and closed higher 7 of 12 times. These are averages of real past moves, not a forecast.
Where do the numbers on this page come from?
Release dates come from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’s official schedule and release archive. Gold prices are COMEX gold futures (GC=F) 1-hour bars via Yahoo Finance, and every move in the table is calculated from those bars when the page is built. We do not show consensus forecasts.
Can I get a reminder before the release?
Yes. Use Add to calendar for a calendar file with a reminder 15 minutes before, or the Google Calendar button. Gold Daily, our free email, lists the next big event in your time zone once a day, Mon–Sat.
Educational page only. Not financial advice and not a signal. Past price reactions do not predict future prices. See our risk disclaimer.