How Bitcoin reacted to Initial Jobless Claims on 15 October 2026

The short answer

A strong reaction. In the 15 minutes after the figure came out, Bitcoin's price swung 2.47 times as much as in a normal 15 minutes that day. For an Initial Claims release, 1.51 times is usual. An hour later the price was 1.04% lower.

2.47x

Strong

Trading (volume ratio)
3.35x
usual for Initial Claims: 1.69x
Price at 8:30 AM
$81,076.00
15 minutes later
−0.23%
One hour later
−1.04%
range 1.09%, hour before 0.43%
BTC/USDT, 10 minutes candles around the release, 8:30 AM America/New York

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

Open
81,779.09
Close
82,397.90
24h change
0.75%
24h high
82,634.30
24h low
79,800.00
24h volume
22,607 BTC

Measured by Clometrix

Bitcoin's volatility ratio was 2.47x, against 1.51x for a typical Initial Claims release since 2021. Its volume ratio was 3.35x, against a typical 1.69x. That is a strong reaction by this release's own standard. 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.

How Bitcoin moved

Bitcoin was at $81,076.00 when the figure came out. Fifteen minutes later it was 0.23% lower, and an hour later 1.04% lower. Its high-to-low range in the hour after was 1.09% of its price, against 0.43% in the hour before.

The release

Released by the Department of Labor on 15 October 2026 at 8:30 AM EDT. Initial Jobless Claims rose to 199K for the week ending 10th Oct, from 197K in the week ending 3rd Oct.

It arrived at the same moment as Retail Sales, Retail Sales Excluding Automobiles, Producer Price Index, Core Producer Price Index and Continued Jobless Claims, so the reaction measured on this page belongs to all of them together.

What made it matter

Since 2021, Initial Claims releases in the two weeks before a Fed decision have moved Bitcoin more than those at other times: a median volatility ratio of 1.67x across 93, against 1.43x across 208. This one came out 13 days before the Federal Reserve's 28 October rate decision. Its own ratio of 2.47x compares with 1.67x for those, so it moved the price more than its circumstances alone would suggest.

Its record

Across 301 Initial Claims releases since 2021, Bitcoin's median volatility ratio is 1.51x.

How it compares

Across 301 Initial Claims releases since 2021, Bitcoin's usual price swing is 1.51x. This one was 1.64 times the usual.

MutedOrdinaryStrongExceptional

Thin line: Initial Claims's usual, 1.51x. Thick line: this release, 2.47x.

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 81105.83 80614.65 80845.21 -0.29% 0.61% 0.09% 275 BTC
5 minutes 81105.83 80562.86 80750.01 -0.40% 0.67% 0.21% 464 BTC
10 minutes 81105.83 80562.86 81070.50 -0.01% 0.67% 0.24% 557 BTC
15 minutes 81105.83 80562.86 80892.01 -0.23% 0.67% 0.26% 616 BTC
30 minutes 81105.83 80535.04 80552.11 -0.65% 0.70% 0.43% 811 BTC
1 hour 81105.83 80222.00 80236.72 -1.05% 1.09% 0.43% 1,277 BTC
2 hours 81424.00 79800.00 81171.11 0.12% 1.99% 0.43% 3,827 BTC
4 hours 82631.00 79800.00 82074.01 1.22% 3.43% 0.71% 6,521 BTC
6 hours 82634.30 79800.00 82194.01 1.36% 3.43% 1.03% 7,969 BTC
8 hours 82631.00 79800.00 82074.01 0.96% 3.43% 2.09% 8,411 BTC
12 hours 82634.30 79800.00 82397.90 1.60% 3.43% 2.09% 11,271 BTC

Every coin at this release

Coin Price swing Usual for Initial Claims Reaction
Bitcoin 2.47x 1.50x Strong
Ethereum 3.83x 1.46x Exceptional
XRP 1.02x 1.18x Quiet
BNB 2.57x 1.42x Strong
Solana 2.14x 1.38x Strong
Dogecoin 2.39x 1.38x Strong
TRON 2.66x 1.33x Exceptional
Cardano 2.18x 1.35x Strong
Chainlink 2.18x 1.43x Strong
Sui 1.80x 1.24x Strong
Bitcoin Cash 2.56x 1.34x Strong
Hedera 1.95x 1.32x Strong
Avalanche 2.08x 1.42x Strong
Litecoin 2.05x 1.39x Strong
Gram 1.04x 1.02x Quiet
Shiba Inu 1.72x 1.33x Ordinary
Uniswap 1.80x 1.34x Strong
Polkadot 1.02x 1.32x Quiet
Aave 2.19x 1.38x Strong
Bittensor 2.18x 1.40x Strong
NEAR Protocol 1.40x 1.24x Quiet
Aptos 1.74x 1.41x Ordinary
Internet Computer 1.51x 1.45x Ordinary
POL (prev. MATIC) 2.10x 1.40x Strong
Filecoin 2.04x 1.27x Strong

What is Initial Jobless Claims?

The weekly claims report is released Thursdays at 8:30 a.m. ET by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Initial claims are new jobless claims filed by U.S. workers seeking unemployment compensation, included in the unemployment insurance weekly claims report. The report, published since 1967, includes a separate count of workers receiving unemployment insurance benefits, known as continuing claims.

Every Initial Claims release for Bitcoin

Questions about this page

Is 2.47x a lot?

For an Initial Claims release it is strong: the usual is 1.51x. Each report has its own usual size, and its releases show it.

Will the next Initial Claims do the same?

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

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.