How Bitcoin reacted to Initial Jobless Claims on 16 July 2026

The short answer

A strong reaction. In the 15 minutes after the figure came out, Bitcoin's price swung 2.58 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 0.10% higher.

2.58x

Strong

Trading (volume ratio)
1.98x
usual for Initial Claims: 1.69x
Price at 8:30 AM
$64,184.24
15 minutes later
−0.46%
One hour later
+0.10%
range 0.64%, hour before 0.29%
BTC/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
64,565.99
Close
63,800.00
24h change
-1.20%
24h high
64,997.52
24h low
63,748.74
24h volume
18,468 BTC

Measured by Clometrix

Bitcoin's volatility ratio was 2.58x, against 1.51x for a typical Initial Claims release since 2021. Its volume ratio was 1.98x, 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 $64,184.24 when the figure came out. Fifteen minutes later it was 0.46% lower, and an hour later 0.1% higher. Its high-to-low range in the hour after was 0.64% of its price, against 0.29% in the hour before.

The release

Released by the Department of Labor on 16 July 2026 at 8:30 AM EDT. Initial Jobless Claims fell to 208K for the week ending 11th Jul, from 215K in the week ending 4th Jul.

It arrived at the same moment as Retail Sales, Retail Sales Excluding Automobiles 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 29 July rate decision. Its own ratio of 2.58x 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 1.71 times the usual.

MutedOrdinaryStrongExceptional

Thin line: Initial Claims's usual, 1.51x. Thick line: this release, 2.58x.

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 64211.85 64184.24 64203.28 0.03% 0.04% 0.03% 13 BTC
5 minutes 64211.85 64144.06 64153.39 -0.05% 0.11% 0.11% 26 BTC
10 minutes 64211.85 63978.44 63978.94 -0.32% 0.36% 0.15% 114 BTC
15 minutes 64211.85 63872.00 63888.00 -0.46% 0.53% 0.15% 226 BTC
30 minutes 64211.85 63838.28 63966.01 -0.34% 0.58% 0.27% 393 BTC
1 hour 64249.99 63838.28 64249.99 0.10% 0.64% 0.29% 659 BTC
2 hours 64863.07 63838.28 64766.02 0.90% 1.58% 0.29% 1,881 BTC
4 hours 64896.00 63838.28 64546.00 0.56% 1.63% 0.56% 3,134 BTC
6 hours 64896.00 63838.28 64220.88 0.06% 1.63% 1.45% 4,111 BTC
8 hours 64896.00 63838.28 64546.00 0.60% 1.63% 1.71% 10,023 BTC
12 hours 64896.00 63748.74 63800.00 -0.60% 1.77% 1.71% 6,024 BTC

Every coin at this release

Coin Price swing Usual for Initial Claims Reaction
Bitcoin 2.58x 1.50x Strong
Ethereum 2.92x 1.46x Strong
XRP Not measured 1.18x -
BNB 2.19x 1.42x Strong
Solana 2.51x 1.38x Strong
Dogecoin 2.49x 1.38x Strong
TRON 1.34x 1.33x Quiet
Cardano 2.17x 1.35x Strong
Chainlink 2.01x 1.43x Strong
Sui 2.06x 1.24x Strong
Bitcoin Cash 2.12x 1.34x Strong
Hedera 3.17x 1.32x Exceptional
Avalanche 3.03x 1.42x Exceptional
Litecoin 1.52x 1.39x Ordinary
Gram 0.00x 1.02x Quiet
Shiba Inu 1.52x 1.33x Ordinary
Uniswap 2.97x 1.34x Exceptional
Polkadot 1.52x 1.32x Ordinary
Aave 1.46x 1.38x Quiet
Bittensor 2.07x 1.40x Strong
NEAR Protocol 1.00x 1.24x Quiet
Aptos 2.37x 1.41x Strong
Internet Computer 1.01x 1.45x Quiet
POL (prev. MATIC) 1.20x 1.40x Quiet
Filecoin 2.38x 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 2.58x 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.