Wondering which releases to watch this week to approach the markets with peace of mind? The economic calendar, as compiled by the reference site ForexFactory, is full of top-tier indicators: eurozone inflation, US employment, the health of American factories. Let's sort through it together to keep our eyes fixed on what matters most, in the spirit of the analyses shared in our economic reads and our daily blog.
Why is this calendar so important?
Financial markets operate like a vast living organism. They react to every new piece of information, much like a boat bobbing at the slightest wave. The economic calendar is the map that helps anticipate these movements. It lists official releases: inflation figures, employment data, industrial production numbers. These data points paint a picture of an economy's health and guide central bank decisions.
The key point: it's not so much the figure itself that moves markets, but the gap between what was expected and what is actually released. A number in line with forecasts often goes unnoticed. A significant deviation, on the other hand, can trigger notable moves. It's like a weather forecast promising sunshine that suddenly turns to rain: everyone adapts quickly. To stay on course amid these fluctuations, relying on precise benchmarks makes all the difference. The JARVIS METHOD indicator available on TradingView helps you map out your sessions and identify key moments. This tool, designed within the framework of our method, helps structure your approach without letting emotions take over. To fully master its use, the platform's comprehensive training guides you step by step through the JARVIS METHOD.
The week's highlights
This week focuses on US employment and European inflation. Traders are closely watching the gap between analysts' forecasts and actual figures. A structured approach is essential to avoid getting lost in the flow of information.
Day by day
Monday, August 31:
- [EUR] German Consumer Price Index (Prelim CPI m/m) — medium impact, forecast 0.3%, previous 0.8%. This index measures the change in consumer prices in Germany over one month. It serves as a benchmark for gauging eurozone inflation, as Germany is the eurozone's largest economy. Concretely, on a basket of €100, a 0.3% increase represents 30 cents more. The forecast points to a slowdown compared with the previous month, which could signal easing price pressures in Europe's largest economy.
- [GBP] UK Bank Holiday — banks and financial markets in the United Kingdom are closed. Trading volumes in the British pound decrease, like traffic slowing during off-peak hours. Price movements may be more limited or more erratic. For traders, this is often a time to step back and review strategy rather than force trades in a thin market.
Tuesday, September 1:
- [EUR] Flash estimate of core inflation (Core CPI y/y) — medium impact, forecast 2.5%, previous 2.5%. This indicator measures the rise in prices in the eurozone over one year, but excluding energy and food. Why this exclusion? Because these two components are highly volatile. Removing them reveals the underlying inflation trend, the one that reflects consumer demand. A stable reading suggests that price pressures are contained beneath the surface.
- [EUR] Flash estimate of headline inflation (CPI y/y) — medium impact, forecast 3.3%, previous 2.9%. This is the comprehensive measure of inflation in Europe over one year. The forecast points to a slight acceleration. For reference, the European Central Bank (ECB) targets a rate close to 2%. A figure of 3.3% means that on a basket of €100, you would pay €3.30 more than a year ago. This acceleration could influence the ECB's future decisions on interest rates, which are the price of money set by the central bank.
- [USD] ISM Manufacturing PMI — high impact, forecast 55.2, previous 55.6. This index reflects the health of American factories, based on a survey of purchasing managers. It is a leading indicator of economic activity: above 50, activity is expanding; below, it is contracting. A reading of 55 means US industry is running at a solid pace. Think of it as a thermometer for the manufacturing sector: the higher it is, the warmer the economic engine runs.
- [USD] ISM Manufacturing Prices — medium impact, forecast 71.2, previous 71.1. This sub-index measures changes in prices paid by manufacturers for their raw materials. It tracks upstream cost pressures, a leading indicator of inflation that could later feed through to consumer prices. A high reading here means factories are paying more for their inputs, a cost that may eventually be passed on to shoppers.
- [USD] JOLTS Job Openings — medium impact, forecast 7.33 million, previous 7.36 million. This figure counts vacant positions in the United States. It assesses the vitality of the labor market: many openings mean businesses are looking to hire, so the economy is dynamic. A sharp decline could signal a slowdown ahead. To put it in perspective, 7.33 million open positions is roughly equivalent to the entire population of Switzerland looking for workers.
How to use this information without getting lost?
Faced with this mass of information, a structured approach is essential. Start by identifying the high-impact releases on the markets that interest you. Then ask yourself: what would happen if the actual figure diverged significantly from the forecast? Anticipating possible scenarios helps you avoid being caught off guard.
The economic calendar is just one compass among others. To build a complete picture, cross-reference these data with analysis of underlying trends and geopolitics. Our economic reads and country profiles help you do just that. The platform's comprehensive and structured training guides you step by step through this learning process, with a path tailored to your level. The member area lets you track your progress, test your reflexes, and keep your trading journal: a valuable tool for understanding your decisions and improving over the long term.
For those who want to go further, the platform offers complementary resources. The investment journal lets you track stocks, ETFs, and crypto assets with regular reports. Mindset coaching helps cultivate discipline and emotional management, two essential pillars for any trader. The Telegram assistant supports you daily with a plan of the day and a morning market brief. You can also consult the comparative directories of brokers and prop firms to make informed choices about your trading environment.
Pitfalls to avoid
Even with a solid method, certain mistakes recur. The first is overtrading: wanting to react to every release. Not every indicator deserves action. The second is neglecting revisions: preliminary figures are often revised later. A first estimate may be misleading. The third is ignoring the context: an inflation figure does not have the same meaning if the economy is booming or slowing. Always step back and consider the whole picture.
Another common trap is confusing short-term volatility with a lasting trend. A single release can cause a brief move without changing the underlying direction. Patience and discipline are your best allies. This is where the "Ma forme" component of the platform comes in, addressing the trader's lifestyle habits: sleep, exercise, and stress management directly influence decision quality.
The economic calendar is a navigation tool, not a crystal ball. It helps you understand market movements, not predict them with certainty. This week's releases — European inflation, US employment, industrial activity — will paint a clearer picture of the global economy's health. It's up to you to draw the useful lessons, methodically and without rushing. To deepen your understanding of the mechanisms at play and discover how to integrate these data into a structured approach, the JARVIS METHOD training provides a proven framework, complemented by mindset coaching and a Telegram assistant that supports you daily with a plan of the day and a morning market brief.
Purely educational content — trading involves a risk of capital loss. This information does not constitute investment advice.