How Bitcoin reacted to Initial Jobless Claims on 14 August 2025

The short answer

An exceptional reaction. In the 15 minutes after the figure came out, Bitcoin's price swung 12.23 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 2.40% lower.

12.23x

Exceptional

Trading (volume ratio)
17.33x
usual for Initial Claims: 1.69x
Price at 8:30 AM
$121,143.68
15 minutes later
−1.33%
One hour later
−2.40%
range 2.90%, hour before 0.61%
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
124,243.31
Close
118,229.30
24h change
-5.09%
24h high
124,474.00
24h low
117,180.00
24h volume
27,267 BTC

Measured by Clometrix

Bitcoin's volatility ratio was 12.23x, against 1.51x for a typical Initial Claims release since 2021. Its volume ratio was 17.33x, against a typical 1.69x. That is more than twice 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.

How Bitcoin moved

Bitcoin was at $121,143.68 when the figure came out. Fifteen minutes later it was 1.33% lower, and an hour later 2.4% lower. Its high-to-low range in the hour after was 2.9% of its price, against 0.61% in the hour before.

The release

Released by the Department of Labor on 14 August 2025 at 8:30 AM EDT. Initial Jobless Claims fell to 224K for the week ending 9th Aug, from 226K in the week ending 2nd Aug.

It arrived at the same moment as 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 was not within two weeks of a Fed decision. Its own ratio of 12.23x compares with 1.43x 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 8.10 times the usual.

MutedOrdinaryStrongExceptional

Thin line: Initial Claims's usual, 1.51x. Thick line: this release, 12.23x.

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 121143.68 120353.71 120410.52 -0.61% 0.65% 0.11% 213 BTC
5 minutes 121143.68 118500.00 118715.99 -2.04% 2.18% 0.22% 1,488 BTC
10 minutes 121143.68 117632.00 119004.75 -1.80% 2.90% 0.60% 2,840 BTC
15 minutes 121143.68 117632.00 119531.42 -1.35% 2.90% 0.60% 3,217 BTC
30 minutes 121143.68 117632.00 118866.37 -1.92% 2.90% 0.60% 4,199 BTC
1 hour 121143.68 117632.00 118235.05 -2.46% 2.90% 0.60% 6,100 BTC
2 hours 121143.68 117632.00 118869.42 -1.91% 2.90% 0.99% 8,395 BTC
4 hours 121143.68 117414.09 117639.17 -2.98% 3.08% 1.28% 11,809 BTC
6 hours 121143.68 117180.00 117855.00 -2.79% 3.27% 1.31% 13,379 BTC
8 hours 122014.79 117414.09 117639.17 -3.72% 3.77% 2.54% 15,545 BTC
12 hours 121143.68 117180.00 118229.30 -2.47% 3.27% 3.23% 16,609 BTC

Every coin at this release

Coin Price swing Usual for Initial Claims Reaction
Bitcoin 12.23x 1.50x Exceptional
Ethereum 8.29x 1.46x Exceptional
XRP 13.12x 1.18x Exceptional
BNB 5.74x 1.42x Exceptional
Solana 10.47x 1.38x Exceptional
Dogecoin 11.83x 1.38x Exceptional
TRON 13.74x 1.33x Exceptional
Cardano 8.34x 1.35x Exceptional
Chainlink 11.22x 1.43x Exceptional
Sui 10.43x 1.24x Exceptional
Bitcoin Cash 12.20x 1.34x Exceptional
Hedera 9.06x 1.32x Exceptional
Avalanche 11.02x 1.42x Exceptional
Litecoin 9.12x 1.39x Exceptional
Gram 11.27x 1.02x Exceptional
Shiba Inu 10.08x 1.33x Exceptional
Uniswap 10.63x 1.34x Exceptional
Polkadot 10.77x 1.32x Exceptional
Aave 8.28x 1.38x Exceptional
Bittensor 13.50x 1.40x Exceptional
NEAR Protocol 9.50x 1.24x Exceptional
Aptos 11.17x 1.41x Exceptional
Internet Computer 9.01x 1.45x Exceptional
POL (prev. MATIC) 10.33x 1.40x Exceptional
Filecoin 10.42x 1.27x Exceptional

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 12.23x a lot?

For an Initial Claims release it is exceptional: 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.