Every Thursday, the Department of Labor drops the weekly jobless claims report. For most traders, it’s just another headline. But for those who understand how Algos, Gamblers, and Strategy Traders attack this release, it’s a weekly hunting ground filled with opportunity.

1) What the Claims Report Shows

The release has three main parts:

• Initial Claims: First-time unemployment benefit applications. The fastest stress indicator.
• Continuing Claims: People still collecting after the first week. Shows persistence of unemployment.
• Four-Week Average: Smooths out noise and anomalies.

It drops every Thursday at 8:30 AM ET. Algos scrape the numbers in milliseconds, Gamblers react emotionally to the first candle, and Strategy Traders wait for the real signal—trend and revisions.

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1) What Exactly Is Retail Sales?

The U.S. Census Bureau releases Advance Monthly Retail & Food Services Sales around the middle of each month at 8:30 ET. It’s nominal dollar sales across retailers and food services—no inflation adjustment, no services ex-food, and it’s volatile. Think of it as the tape of Main Street: autos, gasoline stations, general merchandise, restaurants, nonstore (e-commerce), building materials, and more.