How do economic calendars affect currency prices?

What data affects prices

Central bank decisions, employment reports, GDP growth, and inflation data are high-impact. When actual data differs significantly from forecast, currencies can jump 20–100 pips instantly. For example, a weaker-than-expected jobs report typically weakens the US dollar.

Finding economic calendars

Free calendars are available through most brokers or dedicated financial sites. They show announcement time, country, economic indicator, forecast, and previous result. High-impact events are labeled clearly.

Trading around events

New traders should avoid major announcements until they understand volatility risk. The price can gap past your stop-loss before you can exit. More experienced traders trade the event intentionally, positioning ahead of the announcement expecting a specific outcome. Some strategies avoid events entirely to trade smoothly. Choose based on your skill and comfort with volatility. Always know what's coming in the next 24 hours before you trade.