How Polkadot reacted to Initial Jobless Claims on 5 March 2026

The short answer

A strong reaction. In the 15 minutes after the figure came out, Polkadot's price swung 2.01 times as much as in a normal 15 minutes that day. For an Initial Claims release, 1.32 times is usual. An hour later the price was unchanged.

2.01x

Strong

Trading (volume ratio)
1.03x
usual for Initial Claims: 1.54x
Price at 8:30 AM
$1.530
15 minutes later
−0.65%
One hour later
0.00%
range 1.31%, hour before 0.65%
DOT/USDT, 1 hour candles around the release, 8:30 AM America/New York

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

Open
1.540
Close
1.530
24h change
-0.65%
24h high
1.560
24h low
1.480
24h volume
6.093M DOT

Measured by Clometrix

Polkadot's volatility ratio was 2.01x, against 1.32x for a typical Initial Claims release since 2021. Its volume ratio was 1.03x, against a typical 1.54x. 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 Polkadot moved

Polkadot was at $1.530 when the figure came out. Fifteen minutes later it was 0.65% lower, and an hour later unchanged. Its high-to-low range in the hour after was 1.31% of its price, against 0.65% in the hour before.

The release

Released by the Department of Labor on 5 March 2026 at 8:30 AM EST. Initial Jobless Claims rose to 214K for the week ending 28th Feb, from 211K in the week ending 21st Feb.

It arrived at the same moment as Import Price Index, Export 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 Polkadot about as much as those at other times: a median volatility ratio of 1.41x across 93, against 1.27x across 208. This one came out 13 days before the Federal Reserve's 18 March rate decision. Its own ratio of 2.01x compares with 1.41x for those, so it moved the price more than its circumstances alone would suggest.

Its record

Across 301 Initial Claims releases since 2021, Polkadot's median volatility ratio is 1.32x.

How it compares

Across 301 Initial Claims releases since 2021, Polkadot's usual price swing is 1.32x. This one was 1.53 times the usual.

MutedOrdinaryStrongExceptional

Thin line: Initial Claims's usual, 1.32x. Thick line: this release, 2.01x.

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 1.53 1.52 1.52 -0.66% 0.65% 0.65% 3,399 DOT
5 minutes 1.53 1.51 1.52 -0.66% 1.31% 0.65% 22,976 DOT
10 minutes 1.53 1.51 1.52 -0.66% 1.31% 0.65% 34,319 DOT
15 minutes 1.53 1.51 1.52 -0.66% 1.31% 0.65% 47,661 DOT
30 minutes 1.53 1.51 1.53 0.00% 1.31% 0.65% 134,032 DOT
1 hour 1.53 1.51 1.53 0.00% 1.31% 0.65% 221,276 DOT
2 hours 1.55 1.51 1.51 -1.32% 2.58% 1.30% 710,177 DOT
4 hours 1.55 1.48 1.49 -2.68% 4.52% 1.94% 1.66M DOT
6 hours 1.55 1.48 1.52 -0.66% 4.52% 2.58% 1.995M DOT
8 hours 1.55 1.48 1.49 -2.68% 4.52% 3.21% 2.567M DOT
12 hours 1.56 1.48 1.53 0.00% 5.13% 3.21% 3.484M DOT

Every coin at this release

Coin Price swing Usual for Initial Claims Reaction
Bitcoin 1.21x 1.50x Quiet
Ethereum 1.35x 1.46x Quiet
XRP 1.00x 1.18x Quiet
BNB 1.58x 1.42x Ordinary
Solana 1.94x 1.38x Strong
Dogecoin 2.02x 1.38x Strong
TRON 1.00x 1.33x Quiet
Cardano 1.58x 1.35x Ordinary
Chainlink 2.18x 1.43x Strong
Sui 1.51x 1.24x Ordinary
Bitcoin Cash 1.56x 1.34x Ordinary
Hedera 1.13x 1.32x Quiet
Avalanche 1.50x 1.42x Ordinary
Litecoin 1.52x 1.39x Ordinary
Gram 0.99x 1.02x Quiet
Shiba Inu 1.66x 1.33x Ordinary
Uniswap 2.00x 1.34x Strong
Polkadot 2.01x 1.32x Strong
Aave 1.17x 1.38x Quiet
Bittensor 2.38x 1.40x Strong
NEAR Protocol 1.00x 1.24x Quiet
Aptos 1.54x 1.41x Ordinary
Internet Computer 1.96x 1.45x Strong
POL (prev. MATIC) 1.01x 1.40x Quiet
Filecoin 0.00x 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 Polkadot

Questions about this page

Is 2.01x a lot?

For an Initial Claims release it is strong: the usual is 1.32x. 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 Polkadot 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.