The forex market is highly sensitive to economic events that indicate a country’s financial health. Key events include:

• Central bank interest rate decisions (e.g. Fed, ECB, BoJ)
• Inflation data (CPI, PPI)
• Employment reports (Non-Farm Payrolls, unemployment rate)
• GDP growth figures​
• Consumer confidence indexes
• Manufacturing and services PMIs
• Geopolitical tensions and trade agreements

These events can drive market volatility, alter currency valuations, and present trading opportunities.

The economic calendar provides a daily schedule of upcoming economic data releases and policy announcements from around the world. Traders use it to:​

• Anticipate volatility based on the timing and importance of data.
• Plan trades ahead of high-impact news that may move currency pairs.
• Manage risk exposure by avoiding or preparing for potentially volatile sessions.

To use an economic calendar effectively:

• Track key data releases related to the currencies you trade.
• Mark high-impact events (usually labeled in red or with a volatility symbol).
• Compare forecast vs. previous vs. actual once data is released.
• Use this insight to make informed entry or exit decisions in your trades.

You can filter the economic calendar by:

• Impact level: Focus on high and medium impact news.
• Country or currency: Narrow down by specific regions (e.g. USD, EUR, JPY).
• Event type: Choose interest rates, jobs data, inflation, etc.
  This helps you eliminate noise and focus only on events relevant to your trading strategy.

Traders compare the actual release to both the forecast and previous values:

• If the actual beats forecast → may strengthen the currency.
• If the actual misses forecast → may weaken the currency.

Also, consider the overall market sentiment—sometimes even good data can lead to a sell-off if expectations were higher.