How Ethereum reacted to Initial Jobless Claims on 30 April 2026

The short answer

Hardly a reaction. In the 15 minutes after the figure came out, Ethereum's price swung 0.82 times as much as in a normal 15 minutes that day. For an Initial Claims release, 1.47 times is usual. An hour later the price was 0.35% lower.

0.82x

Quiet

Trading (volume ratio)
0.97x
usual for Initial Claims: 1.69x
Price at 8:30 AM
$2,267.13
15 minutes later
−0.13%
One hour later
−0.35%
range 0.51%, hour before 0.84%
ETH/USDT, 1 minute candles around the release, 8:30 AM America/New York

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

Open
2,254.65
Close
2,262.09
24h change
0.33%
24h high
2,279.00
24h low
2,231.64
24h volume
167,083 ETH

The release

Released by the Department of Labor on 30 April 2026 at 8:30 AM EDT. Initial Jobless Claims fell to 189K for the week ending 25th Apr, from 214K in the week ending 18th Apr.

It arrived at the same moment as Personal Income and Outlays, Personal Consumption Expenditures, Core Personal Consumption Expenditures, Continued Jobless Claims and Gross Domestic Product Report, so the reaction measured on this page belongs to all of them together.

Measured by Clometrix

Ethereum's volatility ratio was 0.82x, against 1.47x for a typical Initial Claims release since 2021. Its volume ratio was 0.97x, against a typical 1.69x. Under 1.5x is not a reaction at all: the market barely noticed this release. 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 Ethereum moved

Ethereum was at $2,267.13 when the figure came out. Fifteen minutes later it was 0.13% lower, and an hour later 0.35% lower. Its high-to-low range in the hour after was 0.51% of its price, against 0.84% in the hour before.

What made it matter

Since 2021, Initial Claims releases in the two weeks before a Fed decision have moved Ethereum more than those at other times: a median volatility ratio of 1.63x across 93, against 1.41x across 208. This one came out the day after the Federal Reserve's 29 April rate decision. Its own ratio of 0.82x compares with 1.41x for those, so it moved the price less than its circumstances would suggest.

How it compares

Across 301 Initial Claims releases since 2021, Ethereum's usual price swing is 1.47x. This one was 0.56 times the usual.

MutedOrdinaryStrongExceptional

Thin line: Initial Claims's usual, 1.47x. Thick line: this release, 0.82x. Under 1.5x counts as no reaction at all.

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 2268.52 2266.53 2268.51 0.06% 0.09% 0.05% 127 ETH
5 minutes 2268.84 2265.21 2265.81 -0.06% 0.16% 0.17% 545 ETH
10 minutes 2268.84 2263.91 2266.68 -0.02% 0.22% 0.35% 974 ETH
15 minutes 2268.84 2263.91 2264.18 -0.13% 0.22% 0.48% 1,361 ETH
30 minutes 2268.84 2263.91 2265.45 -0.07% 0.22% 0.59% 3,018 ETH
1 hour 2268.84 2257.38 2259.15 -0.35% 0.51% 0.84% 5,715 ETH
2 hours 2272.56 2245.82 2258.39 -0.39% 1.18% 0.95% 23,274 ETH
4 hours 2275.13 2245.82 2262.00 -0.23% 1.29% 0.95% 36,521 ETH
6 hours 2275.13 2245.82 2255.95 -0.50% 1.29% 1.32% 45,593 ETH
8 hours 2275.13 2245.82 2262.00 0.18% 1.29% 2.08% 65,285 ETH
12 hours 2275.13 2245.82 2262.09 -0.22% 1.29% 2.08% 66,308 ETH

Every coin at this release

Coin Price swing Usual for Initial Claims Reaction
Bitcoin 1.78x 1.50x Ordinary
Ethereum 0.82x 1.46x Quiet
XRP Not measured 1.18x -
BNB 2.00x 1.42x Strong
Solana 0.86x 1.38x Quiet
Dogecoin 0.44x 1.38x Quiet
TRON 1.00x 1.33x Quiet
Cardano 1.00x 1.35x Quiet
Chainlink 1.00x 1.43x Quiet
Sui 1.03x 1.24x Quiet
Bitcoin Cash 1.37x 1.34x Quiet
Hedera 1.15x 1.32x Quiet
Avalanche 1.00x 1.42x Quiet
Litecoin 1.23x 1.39x Quiet
Gram 0.00x 1.02x Quiet
Shiba Inu 1.00x 1.33x Quiet
Uniswap 0.99x 1.34x Quiet
Polkadot Not measured 1.32x -
Aave 0.80x 1.38x Quiet
Bittensor 1.25x 1.40x Quiet
NEAR Protocol Not measured 1.24x -
Aptos 0.00x 1.41x Quiet
Internet Computer 1.00x 1.45x Quiet
POL (prev. MATIC) 0.99x 1.40x Quiet
Filecoin 1.00x 1.27x Quiet

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 Ethereum

Questions about this page

Is 0.82x a lot?

No. Under 1.5x the market barely noticed the release.

Will the next Initial Claims do the same?

Nobody can say. A forecast shows the range Ethereum 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.