How Bitcoin reacted to Initial Jobless Claims on 17 February 2022

The short answer

An ordinary reaction. In the 15 minutes after the figure came out, Bitcoin's price swung 1.75 times as much as in a normal 15 minutes that day. For an Initial Claims release, 1.52 times is usual. An hour later the price was 0.93% lower.

1.75x

Ordinary

Trading (volume ratio)
2.07x
usual for Initial Claims: 1.68x
Price at 8:30 AM
$42,554.77
15 minutes later
−0.25%
One hour later
−0.93%
range 1.56%, hour before 2.16%
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
44,104.45
Close
40,369.06
24h change
-9.25%
24h high
44,104.76
24h low
40,073.21
24h volume
48,312 BTC

The release

Released by the Department of Labor on 17 February 2022 at 8:30 AM EST. Initial Jobless Claims rose to 234K for the week ending 12th Feb, from 210K in the week ending 5th Feb.

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

How Bitcoin moved

Bitcoin was at $42,554.77 when the figure came out. Fifteen minutes later it was 0.25% lower, and an hour later 0.93% lower. Its high-to-low range in the hour after was 1.56% of its price, against 2.16% in the hour before.

Measured by Clometrix

Bitcoin's volatility ratio was 1.75x, against 1.52x for a typical Initial Claims release since 2021. Its volume ratio was 2.07x, 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, 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 1.68x across 92, against 1.43x across 204. This one was not within two weeks of a Fed decision. Its own ratio of 1.75x compares with 1.43x for those, so it moved the price more than its circumstances alone would suggest.

Its record

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

How it compares

Across 296 Initial Claims releases since 2021, Bitcoin's usual price swing is 1.52x. This one was 1.16 times the usual.

MutedOrdinaryStrongExceptional

Thin line: Initial Claims's usual, 1.52x. Thick line: this release, 1.75x.

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 42642.64 42529.08 42610.96 0.13% 0.27% 0.12% 105 BTC
5 minutes 42653.05 42529.08 42637.29 0.19% 0.29% 0.47% 240 BTC
10 minutes 42693.84 42529.08 42633.87 0.19% 0.39% 1.49% 379 BTC
15 minutes 42693.84 42363.07 42448.13 -0.25% 0.77% 1.64% 761 BTC
30 minutes 42693.84 42142.27 42239.99 -0.75% 1.29% 2.00% 2,616 BTC
1 hour 42693.84 42031.06 42159.50 -0.94% 1.55% 2.12% 5,075 BTC
2 hours 42693.84 41837.61 41931.94 -1.49% 2.01% 2.12% 8,322 BTC
4 hours 42693.84 41641.00 41829.01 -1.74% 2.47% 2.12% 13,198 BTC
6 hours 42693.84 40750.02 41091.76 -3.56% 4.55% 3.63% 20,112 BTC
8 hours 43342.00 41641.00 41829.01 -3.40% 3.92% 2.73% 19,543 BTC
12 hours 42693.84 40073.21 40369.06 -5.41% 6.14% 3.81% 31,843 BTC

Every coin at this release

Coin Price swing Usual for Initial Claims Reaction
Bitcoin 1.75x 1.52x Ordinary
Ethereum 1.20x 1.47x Quiet
XRP 0.88x 1.18x Quiet
BNB 1.62x 1.42x Ordinary
Solana 1.19x 1.39x Quiet
Dogecoin 1.15x 1.39x Quiet
TRON 1.07x 1.33x Quiet
Cardano 0.00x 1.35x Quiet
Chainlink 1.12x 1.43x Quiet
Bitcoin Cash 1.03x 1.34x Quiet
Hedera 1.11x 1.32x Quiet
Avalanche 1.22x 1.42x Quiet
Litecoin 1.15x 1.38x Quiet
Shiba Inu 1.22x 1.34x Quiet
Uniswap 1.39x 1.35x Quiet
Polkadot 1.41x 1.31x Quiet
Aave 1.11x 1.38x Quiet
NEAR Protocol 1.75x 1.24x Strong
Internet Computer 1.20x 1.46x Quiet
POL (prev. MATIC) 0.95x 1.42x Quiet
Filecoin 1.40x 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 Bitcoin

Questions about this page

Is 1.75x a lot?

For an Initial 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 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.

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.