Economic Calendar
Free Economic Calendar — Track Major Macro Events
See when interest rate decisions, inflation reports, jobs data and GDP releases drop. Starts with US events in the embedded TradingView calendar. Other markets depend on its filters and coverage. No signup.
What is an economic calendar?
An economic calendar is a list of dates and times showing when major economic news will be announced. Things like interest rate decisions, inflation reports, and jobs numbers. Knowing when these events drop lets you prepare, instead of being caught off guard by a sudden market move.
How does economic data move markets?
Patterns that hold across every reporting season. The specific numbers change, the structure does not.
Track every major economic event in one calendar
Browse central bank meetings, inflation prints, employment reports, GDP releases and global macro events. Use the built-in filters to narrow the calendar by country, importance level and time period.
Educational use only. The embedded event data is provided by TradingView; this page does not independently check every provider row against an agency release. Data may be delayed, revised or incomplete. Always verify with primary sources before making any investment decision.
An economic calendar is a schedule of upcoming economic releases and central bank announcements. It tells you when major news is coming so you can plan trades or research, rather than reacting after the move.
How to use the Economic Calendar — written walkthrough
A four-stage written walkthrough — how to filter by country, read forecast versus actual results, and focus on high impact macro events.
How a beginner should approach this tool
Each chapter below maps to a stage of using this tool — work through them in order.
- Step 1What the economic calendar shows
- Step 2Country and impact filters
- Step 3Forecast versus actual data
- Step 4How macro events can move stocks, bonds and currencies
Why should you use an economic calendar?
Clear beginner outcomes for this specific tool.
Know the macro events ahead
See when inflation, jobs, GDP and central bank decisions are due before they hit markets.
Read surprise risk faster
Compare forecast and actual values so beginners can see whether the data surprised expectations.
Avoid blind trading around releases
High impact events can move indices, rates and currencies quickly. The calendar helps you know when risk is elevated.
What is an economic calendar and how does it work?
Economic data drives most of the broad market moves you see each month. Knowing when the data is coming, and what is expected, is the foundation of macro-aware investing.
- An economic calendar lists when major economic events will be announced.
- Each event is tagged with an impact level: high events move markets, low events rarely do.
- The 3 biggest scheduled US events are CPI (inflation), NFP (jobs), and FOMC (interest rates).
- Markets move on the gap between forecast and actual, not the headline number alone.
- Central banks set rates around 8 times a year. These dates are scheduled months ahead.
Total read time: about 8 minutes. Each section can stand on its own.
What is an economic calendar? 1 min read
An economic calendar is a public schedule of upcoming economic data releases and central bank announcements. Each event tells you something about the health of the economy: how fast prices are rising (CPI), how many jobs were added (NFP), or whether the central bank raised or cut interest rates (FOMC).
The calendar shows four things that matter:
- The event name (CPI, NFP, GDP, rate decision)
- The date and exact release time in US Eastern
- The forecast for what economists expect on average
- The previous number so you can see if things are improving or worsening
High impact events like CPI, NFP and rate decisions regularly move the entire stock market by 1 to 2 percent in minutes. Knowing the schedule lets you avoid placing trades right before a release, or be ready to act if the surprise is big enough.
How to use the economic calendar 1 min read
Step 1: Set your date range. The default shows the next 7 days. Switch to 30 days for longer planning. Most retail investors only need to track 1 to 2 weeks ahead.
Step 2: Filter by impact level. Use the widget’s impact filter to focus your review. Its categories do not guarantee the size or direction of a market move.
Step 3: Filter by country. Select US to review US releases. Confirm each event’s date, observation period and issuing agency; a calendar entry does not establish which releases will affect a particular holding.
Step 4: Note the time and forecast. All times are US Eastern. Look at the forecast and the previous number. The bigger the gap, the more nervous the market will be ahead of the release.
Understanding impact levels (high, medium, low) 1 min read
What each impact level usually means
For beginners: Start with events relevant to your research question and check their official schedules. The widget’s impact label is a filter, not a prediction.
The major events to know 1 min read
Most retail investors only need to track 5 or 6 recurring events. These are the ones that consistently move markets:
US releases to recognize
| Event | Publisher | What to check | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer Price Index | Bureau of Labor Statistics | Publication date, reference month and reported price change | BLS CPI schedule |
| Employment Situation | Bureau of Labor Statistics | Payroll figures, unemployment rate and revisions | BLS jobs schedule |
| FOMC decision | Federal Reserve | Meeting date, policy statement and any press conference | FOMC calendars |
| Gross Domestic Product | Bureau of Economic Analysis | Which estimate and reference quarter the release covers | BEA release schedule |
Schedules and displayed forecasts can change. Check the official publisher before relying on a date or interpreting a reported value.
Common mistakes when using the economic calendar 2 min read
Confusing a forecast with a result. Calendar forecasts are estimates from third parties; an actual figure is not available before publication. Label each number and its timestamp.
Ignoring the reference period or revisions. A release date can describe data from an earlier month or quarter. Read the agency’s release for the period covered and any revised figures.
Assuming a market reaction from one number. Prices can respond to several pieces of news and changing expectations. The calendar marks an event, not a guaranteed direction or size of move.
Using a displayed local time without checking the zone. Confirm the event time and time zone at the official publisher, especially when comparing it with your own calendar.
How to compare forecast and actual 1 min read
Record the forecast shown before the release, then compare it with the agency’s published value for the same measure and period. The arithmetic difference is a forecast error; it does not by itself explain a stock or bond price move. Check the full release and note revisions before drawing a conclusion.
Try a current US CPI calendar check 2 min read
Find the next scheduled CPI release
Open the calendar with US events preselected. Find the next Consumer Price Index release and record the date, time zone and any forecast shown. Compare the date with the Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI schedule. If the widget has no forecast yet, write “not shown” rather than inventing one. After the release, use the BLS publication for the actual figure and note any later revision.
The embedded calendar is a changing third-party feed. Its US preset can be changed inside the widget for another country. Confirm important dates and figures with the publishing agency.
References
- BLS CPI release schedule, for official publication dates.
- Federal Reserve FOMC calendars, for meeting dates, statements and minutes.
- TradingView Economic Calendar widget documentation, for the embedded feed and filter controls.
Economic event terms, defined in one line
Bookmark this. Every term you will see on the calendar or in a major release.
Consumer Price Index. The main measure of inflation. Tracks how much prices for everyday goods have risen.
Non-Farm Payrolls. Monthly US jobs report. Lands the first Friday of each month at 8:30 AM ET.
Federal Open Market Committee. The Fed body that sets US interest rates. Meets 8 times a year.
Gross Domestic Product. Total value of everything a country produces. Used to measure economic growth.
The market’s average expectation for the upcoming release, set by economists ahead of the event.
How much an event typically moves markets. High = big moves likely. Low = usually quiet.
Economic calendar: frequently asked questions
Quick answers before using the calendar.
Is the economic calendar free?
What does this calendar cover?
What does “high impact” actually mean?
Does this calendar give trading signals?
How reliable is the forecast number?
All times are in US Eastern. What about Australia?
How is this different from Investing.com’s economic calendar?
Should beginners pay attention to all events?
Deepen your understanding
This tool is one research step. These articles teach the concepts behind it.
What is CPI and how is it calculated?
The main inflation gauge, broken down
How the Fed sets interest rates
FOMC process, dot plot, press conference
Reading the Non-Farm Payrolls report
Headline, revisions, wage growth
What is GDP and why does it matter?
Real vs nominal, advance vs final estimate
How central banks fight inflation
Rate hikes, quantitative tightening explained
What is yield curve inversion?
Why it predicts recessions
Why bond yields move stocks
The relationship between rates and equity prices
How to read PMI data
Manufacturing and services PMI, expansion vs contraction
Keep researching
Use these tools to understand how macro events flow through markets.
Sources & methodology
TradingView supplies the embedded calendar. StockEducation does not independently certify every changing row or the provider’s forecast method. Verify dates and actual results with the relevant US publishing agency.
Authoritative outbound sources:
- Federal Reserve, US central bank rate decisions and minutes
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI and NFP primary data
- European Central Bank, Eurozone monetary policy
- Bureau of Economic Analysis, US GDP release dates
- TradingView, calendar data feed
- Find the publishing agency and confirm its scheduled date and time zone.
- Record the widget’s forecast and its timestamp, if one is displayed.
- After publication, read the agency’s original release for the actual value and reference period.
- Check for revisions before comparing releases across periods.
Ready to track macro events?
Open the economic calendar, filter by country or impact, and review the next major market moving events.
Check your understanding
Answer each question, then open the explanation.
1. How should actual, forecast and previous calendar values be distinguished?
Show answer and why
Answer: As the new result, the expectation and the earlier observation.
Why: Mixing these columns can reverse the meaning of a comparison.
2. What should you check before planning around a calendar event?
Show answer and why
Answer: The country, release time, time zone and reporting period.
Why: An event may be displayed in a different time zone from your own.
3. Why read the official statistical release after the event?
Show answer and why
Answer: It provides definitions, detail and any revisions.
Why: A calendar summary may omit changes to earlier figures.
AI responses are for educational purposes. Always verify with official course materials.
This lesson teaches a concept. It is general education, not advice about your money. Before you act on anything you learn here, speak to someone licensed.
AI responses are for educational purposes. Always verify with official course materials.
This lesson teaches a concept. It is general education, not advice about your money. Before you act on anything you learn here, speak to someone licensed.
This lesson teaches a concept. It is general education, not advice about your money. Before you act on anything you learn here, speak to someone licensed.
