How Bitcoin reacted to Initial Jobless Claims on 10 December 2020

The short answer

An ordinary reaction. In the 15 minutes after the figure came out, Bitcoin's price swung 1.66 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 0.34% lower.

1.66x

Ordinary

Trading (volume ratio)
1.83x
usual for Initial Claims: 1.69x
Price at 8:30 AM
$18,131.25
15 minutes later
−0.36%
One hour later
−0.34%
range 1.14%, hour before 1.05%
BTC/USDT, 10 minutes candles around the release, 8:30 AM America/New York

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

Open
18,449.43
Close
17,911.79
24h change
-3.00%
24h high
18,500.00
24h low
17,854.77
24h volume
56,377 BTC

The release

Released by the Department of Labor on 10 December 2020 at 8:30 AM EST. Initial Jobless Claims rose to 873K for the week ending 5th Dec, from 737K in the week ending 28th Nov.

It arrived at the same moment as Consumer Price Index, Core Consumer Price Index, Core Inflation Rate and Continued Jobless Claims, so the reaction measured on this page belongs to all of them together.

How Bitcoin moved

Bitcoin was at $18,131.25 when the figure came out. Fifteen minutes later it was 0.36% lower, and an hour later 0.34% lower. Its high-to-low range in the hour after was 1.14% of its price, against 1.05% in the hour before.

Measured by Clometrix

Bitcoin's volatility ratio was 1.66x, against 1.51x for a typical Initial Claims release since 2021. Its volume ratio was 1.83x, 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 6 days before the Federal Reserve's 16 December rate decision. Its own ratio of 1.66x 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 1.10 times the usual.

MutedOrdinaryStrongExceptional

Thin line: Initial Claims's usual, 1.51x. Thick line: this release, 1.66x.

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 18131.25 18112.33 18120.46 -0.06% 0.10% 0.26% 46 BTC
5 minutes 18168.24 18112.33 18149.97 0.10% 0.31% 0.35% 347 BTC
10 minutes 18168.24 18075.31 18095.09 -0.20% 0.51% 0.35% 582 BTC
15 minutes 18168.24 18055.46 18066.37 -0.36% 0.62% 0.35% 888 BTC
30 minutes 18246.80 18045.31 18233.65 0.56% 1.10% 0.76% 2,086 BTC
1 hour 18252.55 18045.31 18069.53 -0.34% 1.14% 1.04% 3,911 BTC
2 hours 18252.55 17911.12 18022.29 -0.60% 1.87% 1.20% 8,148 BTC
4 hours 18252.55 17911.12 18100.99 -0.17% 1.87% 2.22% 13,622 BTC
6 hours 18321.09 17911.12 18287.86 0.86% 2.24% 2.22% 18,004 BTC
8 hours 18480.00 17911.12 18100.99 -1.87% 3.08% 1.20% 24,927 BTC
12 hours 18435.74 17854.77 17911.79 -1.23% 3.15% 2.32% 31,973 BTC

Every coin at this release

Coin Price swing Usual for Initial Claims Reaction
Bitcoin 1.66x 1.50x Ordinary
Ethereum 1.37x 1.46x Quiet
XRP 1.62x 1.18x Strong
BNB 1.61x 1.42x Ordinary
Solana 2.05x 1.38x Strong
Dogecoin 1.64x 1.38x Ordinary
TRON 1.39x 1.33x Quiet
Cardano 2.08x 1.35x Strong
Chainlink 1.90x 1.43x Strong
Bitcoin Cash 1.55x 1.34x Ordinary
Hedera 1.75x 1.32x Strong
Avalanche 0.67x 1.42x Quiet
Litecoin 2.02x 1.39x Strong
Uniswap 2.01x 1.34x Strong
Polkadot 1.50x 1.32x Ordinary
Aave 1.52x 1.38x Ordinary
NEAR Protocol 1.66x 1.24x Strong
POL (prev. MATIC) 1.54x 1.40x Ordinary
Filecoin 0.86x 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 1.66x 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 · 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.