How Bitcoin reacted to Continued Jobless Claims on 21 May 2026

The short answer

An ordinary reaction. In the 15 minutes after the figure came out, Bitcoin's price swung 1.71 times as much as in a normal 15 minutes that day. For a Continued Claims release, 1.52 times is usual. An hour later the price was 0.24% higher.

1.71x

Ordinary

Trading (volume ratio)
1.45x
usual for Continued Claims: 1.68x
Price at 8:30 AM
$77,115.09
15 minutes later
+0.17%
One hour later
+0.24%
range 0.37%, hour before 0.36%
BTC/USDT, 15 minutes candles around the release, 8:30 AM America/New York

The dashed orange line is the release. Chart data from Binance.

Open
77,728.64
Close
77,484.00
24h change
-0.32%
24h high
78,200.00
24h low
76,719.47
24h volume
11,210 BTC

The release

Released by the Department of Labor on 21 May 2026 at 8:30 AM EDT. Continued Jobless Claims rose to 1786K for the week ending 9th May, from 1782K in the week ending 2nd May.

It arrived at the same moment as Initial Jobless Claims, so the reaction measured on this page belongs to all of them together.

How Bitcoin moved

Bitcoin was at $77,115.09 when the figure came out. Fifteen minutes later it was 0.17% higher, and an hour later 0.24% higher. Its high-to-low range in the hour after was 0.37% of its price, against 0.36% in the hour before.

Measured by Clometrix

Bitcoin's volatility ratio was 1.71x, against 1.52x for a typical Continued Claims release since 2021. Its volume ratio was 1.45x, against a typical 1.68x. That is about what this release usually does. Both compare the quarter hour of the release with an ordinary quarter hour that same day, where 1.00x is no change: volatility is how far the price ranged, volume how much traded.

What made it matter

Since 2021, Continued Claims releases in the two weeks before a Fed decision have moved Bitcoin more than those at other times: a median volatility ratio of 1.68x across 92, against 1.43x across 204. This one was not within two weeks of a Fed decision. Its own ratio of 1.71x compares with 1.43x for those, so it moved the price more than its circumstances alone would suggest.

Its record

Across 296 Continued Claims releases since 2021, Bitcoin's median volatility ratio is 1.52x.

How it compares

Across 296 Continued Claims releases since 2021, Bitcoin's usual price swing is 1.52x. This one was 1.13 times the usual.

MutedOrdinaryStrongExceptional

Thin line: Continued Claims's usual, 1.52x. Thick line: this release, 1.71x.

Minute by minute

Each row is the time after the release, with the same length of time before it for comparison.

After High Low Close Change Range Range before Volume
1 minute 77119.47 77080.72 77119.47 0.01% 0.05% 0.02% 10 BTC
5 minutes 77290.01 77080.72 77277.40 0.21% 0.27% 0.09% 60 BTC
10 minutes 77323.13 77080.72 77288.00 0.22% 0.31% 0.15% 101 BTC
15 minutes 77323.13 77080.72 77243.74 0.17% 0.31% 0.16% 129 BTC
30 minutes 77363.32 77080.72 77278.53 0.21% 0.37% 0.23% 208 BTC
1 hour 77363.32 77080.72 77303.73 0.24% 0.37% 0.36% 392 BTC
2 hours 77363.32 76719.47 77059.58 -0.07% 0.83% 0.45% 1,467 BTC
4 hours 77402.12 76719.47 77182.01 0.09% 0.88% 1.23% 2,334 BTC
6 hours 78098.16 76719.47 77741.59 0.81% 1.77% 1.41% 4,102 BTC
8 hours 78055.36 76719.47 77182.01 -1.13% 1.71% 0.87% 4,134 BTC
12 hours 78098.16 76719.47 77484.00 0.48% 1.77% 1.41% 5,612 BTC

Every coin at this release

Coin Price swing Usual for Continued Claims Reaction
Bitcoin 1.71x 1.52x Ordinary
Ethereum 1.64x 1.47x Ordinary
XRP Not measured 1.18x -
BNB 1.81x 1.42x Ordinary
Solana 1.68x 1.39x Ordinary
Dogecoin 2.06x 1.39x Strong
TRON 1.24x 1.33x Quiet
Cardano 2.00x 1.35x Strong
Chainlink 2.69x 1.43x Strong
Sui 1.03x 1.24x Quiet
Bitcoin Cash 1.56x 1.34x Ordinary
Hedera 2.89x 1.32x Exceptional
Avalanche 2.38x 1.42x Strong
Litecoin 2.53x 1.38x Strong
Gram 1.54x 1.02x Strong
Shiba Inu 1.50x 1.34x Ordinary
Uniswap 1.54x 1.35x Ordinary
Polkadot 1.03x 1.31x Quiet
Aave 1.13x 1.38x Quiet
Bittensor 1.98x 1.41x Strong
NEAR Protocol 1.49x 1.24x Quiet
Aptos 1.76x 1.41x Ordinary
Internet Computer 3.01x 1.46x Exceptional
POL (prev. MATIC) 4.60x 1.42x Exceptional
Filecoin 1.83x 1.27x Strong

What is Continued Jobless Claims?

The weekly claims report is released Thursdays at 8:30 a.m. ET by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Continued claims, also referred to as insured unemployment, is the number of people who have already filed an initial claim and who have experienced a week of unemployment and then filed a continued claim to claim benefits for that week of unemployment. Continued claims data are based on the week of unemployment, not the week when the initial claim was filed.

Every Continued Claims release for Bitcoin

Questions about this page

Is 1.71x a lot?

For a Continued Claims release it is ordinary: the usual is 1.52x. Each report has its own usual size, and its releases show it.

Will the next Continued Claims do the same?

Nobody can say. A forecast shows the range Bitcoin moved in after past Continued Claims releases, so you can plan for the likely size of the move.

Do weekly jobless claims move crypto?

Weekly jobless claims have a median Bitcoin price swing of 1.52x since 2021, which places Initial Claims and Continued Claims in Tier 3. They are released at 8:30 a.m. ET. When a claims release falls on the same minute as a bigger report, such as CPI, the reaction belongs to both. Clometrix measures 296 claims releases in the record since 2021.

More questions · Glossary

Disclaimer

The data analysis, forecasted results and projections provided herein are based on historical price action and market trends. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, these predictions are speculative and should not be considered a guarantee of future performance. Market conditions can change rapidly, and past performance is not indicative of future results. Trading and investing involve significant risk, and you should conduct your own research and consult with a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions. We do not assume any liability for any losses that may result from reliance on this information.