Elina Ward
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Friday 1 May 2026
📊 High-Impact Economic Calendar – 4–8 May 2026
🌍 Week Overview
This week centered on major labor market data, central bank policy, trade balances, and growth indicators, with particular attention on the RBA Interest Rate Decision, U.S. labor data, and Non-Farm Payrolls. Traders monitored these releases closely as they shaped expectations for monetary policy, economic momentum, and broader market sentiment.Times in GMT
All events are 🔴 HIGH IMPACT for traders
📅 Monday, 4 May 2026
| Time | Country | Event | Forecast | Previous | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01:30 | 🇦🇺 AU | Building Permits MoM Prel (MAR) | -6.0% | 29.7% | 🔴 High |
| 14:00 | 🇺🇸 US | Factory Orders MoM (MAR) | 0.8% | 0.0% | 🔴 High |
📅 Tuesday, 5 May 2026
| Time | Country | Event | Forecast | Previous | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01:30 | 🇦🇺 AU | Household Spending YoY (MAR) | 5.1% | 4.6% | 🔴 High |
| 04:30 | 🇦🇺 AU | RBA Interest Rate Decision | 4.35% | 4.1% | 🔴 High |
| 06:30 | 🇨🇭 CH | Inflation Rate YoY (APR) | 0.8% | 0.3% | 🔴 High |
| 12:30 | 🇺🇸 US | Balance of Trade (MAR) | -$61.4B | -$57.3B | 🔴 High |
| 12:30 | 🇨🇦 CA | Balance of Trade (MAR) | -C$3.4B | -C$5.74B | 🔴 High |
| 14:00 | 🇺🇸 US | New Home Sales (MAR) | 640K | — | 🔴 High |
| 14:00 | 🇺🇸 US | New Home Sales MoM (FEB) | 3.9% | -17.6% | 🔴 High |
| 14:00 | 🇺🇸 US | JOLTS Job Openings (MAR) | 7.0M | 6.882M | 🔴 High |
| 14:00 | 🇺🇸 US | New Home Sales MoM (MAR) | 4.9% | — | 🔴 High |
| 14:00 | 🇺🇸 US | New Home Sales (FEB) | 610K | 587K | 🔴 High |
| 14:00 | 🇺🇸 US | ISM Services PMI (APR) | 53.7 | 54.0 | 🔴 High |
| 22:45 | 🇳🇿 NZ | Unemployment Rate (Q1) | 5.3% | 5.4% | 🔴 High |
📅 Wednesday, 6 May 2026
| Time | Country | Event | Forecast | Previous | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06:45 | 🇫🇷 FR | Industrial Production MoM (MAR) | 0.2% | -0.7% | 🔴 High |
| 09:00 | 🇪🇺 EA | PPI MoM (MAR) | 2.0% | -0.7% | 🔴 High |
| 09:00 | 🇪🇺 EA | PPI YoY (MAR) | 0.6% | -3.0% | 🔴 High |
| 12:15 | 🇺🇸 US | ADP Employment Change (APR) | 70K | 62K | 🔴 High |
| 14:00 | 🇨🇦 CA | Ivey PMI s.a (APR) | 47.0 | 49.7 | 🔴 High |
📅 Thursday, 7 May 2026
| Time | Country | Event | Forecast | Previous | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01:30 | 🇦🇺 AU | Balance of Trade (MAR) | A$4B | A$5.686B | 🔴 High |
| 06:00 | 🇩🇪 DE | Factory Orders MoM (MAR) | 1.1% | 0.9% | 🔴 High |
| 06:45 | 🇫🇷 FR | Balance of Trade (MAR) | -€5.7B | -€5.8B | 🔴 High |
| 07:00 | 🇨🇭 CH | Unemployment Rate (APR) | 3.1% | 3.1% | 🔴 High |
| 09:00 | 🇪🇺 EA | Retail Sales MoM (MAR) | 0.4% | -0.2% | 🔴 High |
| 12:30 | 🇺🇸 US | Initial Jobless Claims (May/02) | 215K | 189K | 🔴 High |
📅 Friday, 8 May 2026
| Time | Country | Event | Forecast | Previous | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06:00 | 🇩🇪 DE | Industrial Production MoM (MAR) | -0.7% | -0.3% | 🔴 High |
| 06:00 | 🇩🇪 DE | Balance of Trade (MAR) | €14B | €19.8B | 🔴 High |
| 12:30 | 🇺🇸 US | Unemployment Rate (APR) | 4.3% | 4.3% | 🔴 High |
| 12:30 | 🇺🇸 US | Non-Farm Payrolls (APR) | 95K | 178K | 🔴 High |
| 12:30 | 🇨🇦 CA | Full-Time Employment Change (APR) | 18K | -1.1K | 🔴 High |
| 12:30 | 🇨🇦 CA | Unemployment Rate (APR) | 6.7% | 6.7% | 🔴 High |
| 12:30 | 🇨🇦 CA | Employment Change (APR) | 20K | 14.1K | 🔴 High |
| 14:00 | 🇺🇸 US | Michigan Consumer Sentiment Prel (MAY) | 50.0 | 49.8 | 🔴 High |
Planning ahead for high-impact economic releases can help prepare for potential volatility before it reaches the market. By tracking the week’s key announcements in advance, it becomes easier to anticipate major market-moving moments, refine strategy, manage risk more effectively, and stay ready for shifts across currencies, commodities, stocks, and indices before the week unfolds.
Below is an overview of the April 3, 2026 Nonfarm Payrolls release, accompanied by a GBP/USD chart illustrating the market’s reaction through 5-minute candlestick price action.
Non-Farm Payrolls Release - 3 April 2026
U.S. nonfarm payrolls rose by 178,000 in March, significantly beating expectations of 59,000 and rebounding sharply from February’s revised 133,000 decline, signaling that the labor market remains resilient despite broader signs of slowing growth. The unemployment rate edged down to 4.3%, though the decline was largely driven by a sharp drop in labor force participation rather than stronger employment conditions. Wage growth came in softer than expected, with average hourly earnings rising just 0.2% monthly and 3.5% annually—the slowest yearly pace since May 2021—suggesting easing wage inflation pressures. Job gains were led primarily by health care, construction, and transportation, while federal government and financial sectors posted losses. Overall, the report reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve is likely to remain on hold, as stronger-than-expected hiring offsets labor market weakness concerns, while softer wages and elevated inflation continue to complicate the policy outlook.Potential Profit Study:
An entry on GBP/USD at 1.1.32255 with 1 standard lot required approximately $264.51 in margin at 1:500 leverage, while at 1:2000 leverage, the margin requirement decreased to around $66.13.The move from 1.32255 to the session low of 1.31782 totalled 47.3 pips, resulting in a potential profit of approximately $473 on a standard lot position.
