How Bitcoin reacted to Initial Jobless Claims on 17 July 2025

The short answer

An ordinary reaction. In the 15 minutes after the figure came out, Bitcoin's price swung 1.72 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 0.37% higher.

1.72x

Ordinary

Trading (volume ratio)
2.41x
usual for Initial Claims: 1.69x
Price at 8:30 AM
$117,472.17
15 minutes later
+0.43%
One hour later
+0.37%
range 0.62%, hour before 0.63%
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
118,863.02
Close
119,501.00
24h change
0.53%
24h high
120,998.71
24h low
117,453.57
24h volume
15,755 BTC

The release

Released by the Department of Labor on 17 July 2025 at 8:30 AM EDT. Initial Jobless Claims fell to 221K for the week ending 12th Jul, from 228K in the week ending 5th Jul.

It arrived at the same moment as Retail Sales, Retail Sales Excluding Automobiles, Import Price Index, Export Price Index and Continued Jobless Claims, so the reaction measured on this page belongs to all of them together.

How Bitcoin moved

Bitcoin was at $117,472.17 when the figure came out. Fifteen minutes later it was 0.43% higher, and an hour later 0.37% higher. Its high-to-low range in the hour after was 0.62% of its price, against 0.63% in the hour before.

Measured by Clometrix

Bitcoin's volatility ratio was 1.72x, against 1.51x for a typical Initial Claims release since 2021. Its volume ratio was 2.41x, against a typical 1.69x. 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 1.67x across 93, against 1.43x across 208. This one came out 13 days before the Federal Reserve's 30 July rate decision. Its own ratio of 1.72x compares with 1.67x for those, about what its circumstances 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 1.14 times the usual.

MutedOrdinaryStrongExceptional

Thin line: Initial Claims's usual, 1.51x. Thick line: this release, 1.72x.

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 117793.78 117472.17 117699.17 0.19% 0.27% 0.09% 37 BTC
5 minutes 117793.78 117453.57 117682.77 0.18% 0.29% 0.19% 170 BTC
10 minutes 117796.07 117453.57 117704.16 0.20% 0.29% 0.29% 240 BTC
15 minutes 117978.86 117453.57 117977.99 0.43% 0.45% 0.32% 325 BTC
30 minutes 118183.74 117453.57 117867.08 0.34% 0.62% 0.53% 497 BTC
1 hour 118183.74 117453.57 117904.00 0.37% 0.62% 0.63% 800 BTC
2 hours 118700.00 117453.57 118693.09 1.03% 1.05% 0.92% 1,795 BTC
4 hours 119073.46 117453.57 118559.99 0.92% 1.36% 1.44% 2,874 BTC
6 hours 119735.67 117453.57 119685.50 1.85% 1.91% 1.44% 4,176 BTC
8 hours 119192.00 117453.57 118559.99 0.25% 1.46% 1.24% 5,270 BTC
12 hours 120998.71 117453.57 119501.00 1.70% 2.93% 1.44% 9,035 BTC

Every coin at this release

Coin Price swing Usual for Initial Claims Reaction
Bitcoin 1.72x 1.50x Ordinary
Ethereum 1.33x 1.46x Quiet
XRP 1.00x 1.18x Quiet
BNB 1.43x 1.42x Quiet
Solana 2.42x 1.38x Strong
Dogecoin 1.41x 1.38x Quiet
TRON 0.87x 1.33x Quiet
Cardano 1.33x 1.35x Quiet
Chainlink 1.45x 1.43x Quiet
Sui 1.33x 1.24x Quiet
Bitcoin Cash 1.46x 1.34x Quiet
Hedera 0.95x 1.32x Quiet
Avalanche 1.64x 1.42x Ordinary
Litecoin 1.34x 1.39x Quiet
Gram 1.50x 1.02x Strong
Shiba Inu 1.25x 1.33x Quiet
Uniswap 1.51x 1.34x Ordinary
Polkadot 1.66x 1.32x Ordinary
Aave 1.73x 1.38x Ordinary
Bittensor 1.83x 1.40x Strong
NEAR Protocol 1.91x 1.24x Strong
Aptos 1.76x 1.41x Ordinary
Internet Computer 2.22x 1.45x Strong
POL (prev. MATIC) 1.72x 1.40x Ordinary
Filecoin 2.01x 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 1.72x a lot?

For an Initial Claims release it is ordinary: 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 ยท 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.