The Week Ahead: Key Economic Events to Watch for March 9 – 13, 2026

Overview

This week features several high-impact economic releases that could influence currency markets, particularly the US dollar, British pound, and Canadian dollar. Key data includes US inflation figures, labor market indicators, and GDP updates, along with the UK’s monthly GDP report and Canada’s employment data. These indicators provide important insights into economic growth, inflation trends, and labor market conditions, which may shape expectations for future monetary policy decisions.

High Impact Economic Events

Wednesday 14:30 (GMT+2) – USA: CPI m/m (USD)

Thursday 14:30 (GMT+2) – USA: Unemployment Claims (USD)

Friday 09:00 am (GMT+2) – UK: GDP m/m (GBP)

Friday 14:30 (GMT+2) – Canada: Employment Change (CAD)

Friday 14:30 (GMT+2) – USA: Core PCE Price Index m/m (USD)

Friday 14:30 (GMT+2) – USA: Prelim GDP q/q (USD)

Friday 16:00 (GMT+2) – USA: JOLTS Job Openings (USD)

Wednesday, March 11

14:30 – USA: CPI m/m (USD)

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures the change in prices paid by consumers for a basket of goods and services, reflecting spending patterns of urban consumers and wage earners. It includes indexes like CPI-U for all urban consumers and CPI-W for urban wage earners, covering over 90% of the US population. CPI tracks inflation by comparing current prices to a reference base period.

In January, U.S. consumer prices rose 0.2%, bringing annual inflation to 2.4%, down slightly from 2.7% in December.

Higher housing and food prices contributed to the monthly increase, while energy prices fell 1.5%, helping offset some of the rise.

Excluding food and energy, core inflation increased 0.3% in January and 2.5% over the past year.

Economists expect a 0.3% monthly increase in the Consumer Price Index in the next release.

Thursday, March 12

14:30 – USA: Unemployment Claims (USD)

An initial claim is filed by an unemployed individual seeking eligibility for unemployment insurance after leaving a job. This count serves as a leading economic indicator, reflecting labor market conditions.

In the week ending February 28, US initial jobless claims remained unchanged at 213,000, pointing to continued stability in the labor market. The four-week moving average declined to 215,750, suggesting a slight improvement in the trend.

Meanwhile, the insured unemployment rate held steady at 1.2%, while the number of people receiving unemployment benefits increased by 46,000 to about 1.87 million.

Economists anticipate 216,000 initial jobless claims in the next report.

Friday, March 13

09:00 am – UK: GDP m/m (GBP)

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) m/m represents the value of all goods and services produced in the UK in the current month compared to the previous month. The GDP calculation also includes expenditure on manufactured goods and provided services. Growth in GDP may have a positive effect on the pound quotes.

In the three months to December 2025, the economy grew slightly, with real GDP increasing by 0.1% after small declines in previous periods.

The services sector, which makes up the largest part of the economy, showed no growth. Production output rose by 1.2%, helping support overall growth, while construction activity fell by 2.1%, continuing a recent slowdown in the sector.

Economists expect UK GDP to increase by 0.2% in the next release.

14:30 – Canada: Employment Change (CAD)

Change in the number of employed individuals in the previous month. In general, when the actual figure is greater than the forecast, it is positive for the currency.

In January, employment fell slightly by 25,000, lowering the employment rate to 60.8%. The unemployment rate dropped to 6.5%, mainly because fewer people were actively looking for work.

Job losses were seen in manufacturing, education, and public administration, while gains occurred in sectors such as information and recreation, support services, agriculture, and utilities. Employment declined notably in Ontario but increased in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Meanwhile, average hourly wages rose 3.3% compared with a year earlier.

Economists expect employment to rise by 11,100 in the next release.

14:30 – USA: Core PCE Price Index m/m (USD)

Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) measure the value of goods and services consumed by individuals and households. It’s a key indicator of consumer spending, which accounts for a large portion of economic activity in the US. The PCE is often used to track inflation trends, as it includes data on prices paid by consumers. The Federal Reserve uses the PCE price index as its preferred measure of inflation to guide monetary policy decisions, aiming to maintain price stability in the economy.

In December, US personal income increased by 0.3%, while disposable income—money left after taxes—also rose 0.3%. At the same time, consumer spending grew by 0.4%, showing that households continued to spend more on goods and services.

The release of this report was delayed due to the US government shutdown in October–November 2025.

Economists anticipate a 0.4% increase in the next release.

14:30 – USA: Prelim GDP q/q (USD)

The Gross Domestic Product q/q (GDP) represents the valuation of all goods and services produced in the United States in the current quarter compared to the previous one.

GDP growth may have a positive effect on US dollar quotes.

Although these are quarterly figures, they are presented in an annualized form (quarterly change multiplied by four). GDP is published in three stages—Advance, Preliminary, and Final. The Advance release comes first and typically has the strongest market impact.

US real GDP grew at an annual rate of 1.4% in the fourth quarter of 2025, slowing from 4.4% growth in the third quarter.

The advance estimate was released later than planned due to the US government shutdown in October–November 2025.

Analysts expect the next GDP estimate to confirm growth of around 1.4%.

16:00 – USA: JOLTS Job Openings (USD)

The JOLTS Job Openings report is a monthly report based on employers’ surveys, indicating job vacancies in the US commercial, industrial, and office areas, excluding the farming industry.

Growth in the indicator may have a positive effect on US dollar quotes.

In December, US job openings fell to 6.5 million, continuing a downward trend in labor demand. Hiring and total separations remained steady at 5.3 million, while the number of workers quitting or being laid off showed little change.

Economists expect job openings to rise slightly to 6.84 million in the next release.

Company Earnings (March 9 – 13)

Tuesday, March 10: ORCL (Oracle Corporation)

Thursday, March 12: ADBE (Adobe Inc.)

Thursday, March 12, DG (Dollar General Corporation)

Conclusion

Overall, this week’s economic releases will provide important signals about inflation, economic growth, and labor market conditions in the US, UK, and Canada. Traders and investors will closely monitor these reports for clues about the strength of the global economy and the potential direction of monetary policy, which may influence movements in major currency pairs and broader financial markets.