Unemployment Rate

The unemployment rate, also called the jobless rate, is the share of the labour force that is without work but actively looking for it. National statistics agencies publish it monthly or quarterly, and it forms one half of the dual mandate under which several major central banks operate, alongside price stability. For forex traders it is a core fundamental input. A tight labour market supports wage growth and inflation, which argues for higher interest rates and can strengthen the currency. Because it is a lagging indicator, markets read it together with payrolls, the participation rate and average earnings from the same report. Large deviations from forecast are a reliable source of scheduled volatility.