Jobs report and average hourly earnings among economic data due Friday

As traders approach another pivotal day for financial markets, a series of crucial economic data releases that could sway market dynamics are expected on Friday, September 4, 2026. The spotlight will be on the monthly employment situation report, which includes nonfarm payrolls, the unemployment rate, and average hourly earnings. These indicators serve as vital barometers of labor market health and consumer spending capacity, making them essential for assessing the broader economic trajectory. Financial professionals will be closely monitoring these releases for signals that could influence monetary policy expectations and market sentiment.

Major Economic Events to Watch

• 7:30 AM ET - Nonfarm Payrolls (Forecast:55K, Previous: -23K) - Measures the change in the number of people employed during the previous month, excluding the farming industry, and serves as the foremost indicator of consumer spending.

• 7:30 AM ET - Unemployment Rate (Forecast:4.1%, Previous: 4.1%) - Measures the percentage of the total work force that is unemployed and actively seeking employment during the previous month.

• 7:30 AM ET - Average Hourly Earnings (Forecast:0.3%, Previous: 0.1%) - Measures the change in the price businesses pay for labor, not including the agricultural sector.

Other Important Economic Events to Watch

• 7:30 AM ET - Private Nonfarm Payrolls (Forecast:50K, Previous: 30K) - Measures the change in the total number of paid U.S. workers of any business, excluding government employees, private household employees, nonprofit organization employees, and farm employees.

• 7:30 AM ET - Participation Rate (Previous:61.4%) - Measures the share of the working-age population either working or looking for work, serving as an important indicator of labor supply.

• 7:30 AM ET - Average Hourly Earnings (Forecast:3.0%, Previous: 3.2%) - Year-over-year measure of wage growth in the labor market.

• 12:00 PM ET - Baker Hughes U.S. Rig Count (Previous:447) - An important business barometer for the oil drilling industry that acts as a leading indicator of demand for oil products.

• 12:00 PM ET - U.S. Baker Hughes Total Rig Count (Previous:588) - Tracks the total number of active drilling rigs across all categories.

• 2:30 PM ET - CFTC Crude Oil Speculative Positions (Previous:123.4K) - Weekly report showing net positions held by speculative traders in crude oil futures markets.

• 2:30 PM ET - CFTC Gold Speculative Positions (Previous:243.3K) - Provides a breakdown of net positions for speculative traders in gold futures markets, considered an indicator for analyzing market sentiment.

• 2:30 PM ET - CFTC S&P 500 Speculative Positions (Previous:-68.0K) - Shows net positions held by speculative traders in S&P 500 futures markets.

• 2:30 PM ET - CFTC Nasdaq 100 Speculative Positions (Previous:10.0K) - Tracks speculative positioning in Nasdaq 100 futures contracts.

Other Economic Events to Watch

• 7:30 AM ET - Average Weekly Hours (Forecast:34.4, Previous: 34.3) - Measures the average number of hours worked by employees on non-farm payrolls.

• 7:30 AM ET - U6 Unemployment Rate (Previous:7.9%) - Broader measure of unemployment that includes persons marginally attached to the labor force and those employed part-time for economic reasons.

• 7:30 AM ET - Manufacturing Payrolls (Forecast:5K, Previous: 5K) - Measures employment change in the manufacturing sector.

• 7:30 AM ET - Government Payrolls (Previous:-53.0K) - Tracks employment changes in government positions.

• 2:30 PM ET - CFTC Silver Speculative Positions (Previous:25.3K) - Provides a breakdown of net positions for speculative traders in silver futures markets.

• 2:30 PM ET - CFTC Copper Speculative Positions (Previous:85.3K) - Shows speculative positioning in copper futures contracts.

• 2:30 PM ET - CFTC Aluminium Speculative Net Positions (Previous:0.0K) - Tracks net speculative positions in aluminum futures markets.

• 2:30 PM ET - CFTC Natural Gas Speculative Positions (Previous:-197.9K) - Provides insight into speculative trader positioning in natural gas futures.

• 2:30 PM ET - CFTC Wheat Speculative Positions (Previous:-6.8K) - Shows net positions held by speculative traders in wheat futures markets.

• 2:30 PM ET - CFTC Corn Speculative Positions (Previous:440.9K) - Tracks speculative positioning in corn futures contracts.

• 2:30 PM ET - CFTC Soybeans Speculative Positions (Previous:221.4K) - Provides data on speculative trader positioning in soybean futures.

For further information and the latest updates, please refer to our Economic Calendar, here.