Why This Month’s NFP Was Delayed — And Why Trading NFP Is Extremely Risky
DAK Markets Research Desk
The Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP) report is one of the most influential economic releases in global financial markets. It can move currencies, indices, commodities, and even crypto within seconds.
But this month, traders across the world noticed something unusual: the NFP release was delayed and pushed to a non-standard day — today.
In this article, we break down:
- Why this month’s NFP was delayed
- Why the release is happening today
- How the delay affects market volatility
- Why trading during NFP can be extremely risky
- How DAK Markets traders should prepare
Why Was This Month’s NFP Delayed?
NFP is typically released on the first Friday of every month at 8:30 AM EST by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
But when the calendar shifts, holiday schedules and federal processing days can push the release date forward — which is exactly what happened this month.
1. The First Friday Fell Too Close to a U.S. Federal Holiday
When the first Friday occurs immediately after:
- A federal holiday
- A market closure
- A shortened business week
…the Bureau of Labor Statistics requires additional processing time to finalize employment data.
This month, the internal data validation window was shortened, which forced a delayed release.
2. Data Verification Procedures Required Extra Time
The NFP report is built on an enormous dataset:
- Surveys from 140,000+ businesses
- Millions of payroll entries
- Seasonal adjustments
- Labor force participation revisions
A shorter week meant the BLS needed one extra business day for quality checks before publication.
3. Alignment With Other Economic Data Releases
The U.S. government sometimes adjusts release timing to avoid overlapping with:
- ISM reports
- FOMC minutes
- CPI or PPI release windows
- Public sector reporting shifts
This ensures that no major dataset overshadows or distorts the NFP reading.
This is why NFP is being held today — slightly later than usual.
How This Delay Impacts Market Conditions
A delayed NFP doesn’t just shift the date — it changes the entire week’s flow of volatility.
1. Increased Pre-NFP Speculation
When the release date changes, institutional desks and algos adjust their models late, creating:
- Choppy pre-NFP movements
- Fake breakouts
- Liquidity traps
- Unstable trends
Traders often mistake this for new momentum, when it’s just the market repositioning.
2. Liquidity Thins Out
Delayed uncertainty drives large players to stay flat longer.
As a result:
- Spreads widen
- Orderbooks thin
- Slippage increases
- Stop-hunts become easier
This is especially hostile for retail traders.
Why Trading During NFP Is Extremely Risky
At DAK Markets, we always educate traders that event-driven volatility is not the same as opportunity.
NFP is one of the few events where the entire market structure breaks temporarily.
Here’s why.
1. Extreme Volatility in Seconds
NFP can cause:
- 30–100 pip spikes within milliseconds
- Instant reversals
- 3-leg fake moves
- Breakout traps
- Spread explosions
Even perfect setups fail because price does not respect technical levels during the release window.
2. Spreads Can Widen Dramatically
During NFP, spreads can widen by:
- 5–20x on Forex pairs
- 2–3x on XAUUSD
- 10x+ on indices like NAS100
This means your trade can:
- Stop out instantly
- Open at a bad price
- Slip by multiple pips
This is normal market behavior, not a broker issue.
3. Liquidity Providers Pull or Reduce Liquidity
LPs temporarily reduce risk exposure during major news.
This affects market conditions at every broker globally, including:
- Higher slippage
- Delayed fills
- Partial fills
- Requotes
- Micro-gaps
Your strategy may work 364 days a year — but NFP day is the exception.
4. Algorithms Dominate NFP Movements
High-frequency algos react faster than any human or technical analysis model.
They front-run liquidity, sweep levels, and create patterns such as:
- Liquidity grabs
- Stop-hunts
- Flash moves
- Violent V-reversals
Most traders misinterpret these as “breakouts,” when they’re simply algo-driven imbalance corrections.
How DAK Markets Traders Should Approach NFP Day
1. Avoid Trading the Exact Release Time
The 8:30–8:32 AM EST window is the most dangerous 2 minutes in Forex.
If you want exposure, you’re better off waiting:
- 5–15 minutes after the release
- For spreads to normalize
- For structure to rebuild
2. Focus on Post-NFP Setups
The best opportunities usually appear after the chaos:
- NY retracement setups
- Liquidity sweeps
- Trend continuation plays
- Daily range expansions
These are far more stable than the initial spike.
3. Keep Risk Extremely Low
If you must trade NFP:
- Use smaller position sizes
- Allow for increased spread
- Never enter on the first spike
- Set stop-losses wider or stay flat
Trading NFP responsibly is a sign of experience — not fear.
Final Thoughts
This month’s delayed NFP is a reminder of how flexible and unpredictable global economic reporting can be.
But the bigger reminder is this:
NFP is not a day for gambling. It’s a day for discipline, risk management, and patience.
At DAK Markets, our mission is to help clients trade intelligently — not emotionally.
Stay safe during today’s NFP release, protect your capital, and wait for structure to return before taking positions.
