The Week Ahead: Key Economic Events to Watch for October 13 – 17, 2025

Several high-impact economic events and major U.S. corporate earnings releases are scheduled this week, offering key insights into global market trends and potential currency movements. Traders will be watching Australia’s employment data, the UK’s GDP figures, and the US Producer Price Index and Retail Sales reports for fresh signals on inflation, growth, and monetary policy direction. In addition, quarterly earnings from major U.S. banks and corporations, including JPMorgan, Citigroup, and Johnson & Johnson, are likely to influence overall market sentiment.

High Impact Economic Events

Thursday 03:30 am (GMT+3) – Australia: Employment Change (AUD)

Thursday 09:00 am (GMT+3) – UK: GDP m/m (GBP)

Thursday Tentative (GMT+3) – USA: PPI m/m (USD)

Thursday Tentative – USA: Retail Sales m/m (USD)

Thursday, October 16

03:30 am – Australia: Employment Change (AUD)

The Australian Employment Change tracks the monthly variation in the number of officially employed individuals in the country. An increase in employment indicates a stronger labor market and can positively influence the value of the Australian dollar.

In August, Australia’s job market softened slightly, according to seasonally adjusted figures. Total employment fell by 5,400 people to 14.63 million, as full-time jobs dropped by 40,900 while part-time employment rose by 35,500. The number of unemployed people decreased slightly by 900 to 647,400, keeping the unemployment rate steady at 4.2 percent. Overall, the data suggest a mild cooling in labor demand, with fewer full-time roles but continued stability in overall unemployment.

Analysts expect employment to rise by around 20,000 in the next release.

09:00 am – UK: GDP m/m (GBP)

Gross Domestic Productrepresents 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. GDP growth may have a positive effect on the pound quotes.

UK real GDP was flat in July 2025 after rising 0.4% in June, indicating a slowdown in economic momentum. Over the three months to July, GDP grew by 0.2%, down from 0.8% in the previous period. Services and construction sectors saw modest gains of 0.4% and 0.6% respectively, while production fell by 1.3%. Compared with a year earlier, GDP was 1.4% higher, showing limited but continued growth.

Economists expect a modest 0.1% increase in the next release.

Tentative – USA: PPI m/m (USD)

The United States Producer Price Index shows average changes in selling prices received by domestic producers of goods and services in the specified month compared to the previous month. The index reflects price changes in primary markets of the United States from the perspective of the seller and is calculated based on the prices for the base period (the current PPI base year is set as 1982).

PPI is used for preparing an inflation outlook.

The indicator growth can have a positive effect on dollar quotes.

In August 2025, US producer prices edged down 0.1%, following a 0.7% rise in July. The decline was mainly due to a 0.2% drop in service prices, while goods prices inched up 0.1%. Over the past year, the Producer Price Index (PPI) increased 2.6%. Excluding food, energy, and trade services, core PPI rose 0.3% in August and 2.8% year over year, the largest annual gain since March 2025.

Economists forecast a rise of 0.3%.

Tentative – USA: Retail Sales m/m (USD)

The Retail Sales m/m reflects the change in US retail sales from one month to the next. This indicator is used to assess inflation, and an increase in retail sales can positively influence the value of the US dollar.

In August 2025, US retail and food services sales rose 0.6% to $732.0 billion, following a similar gain in July. Sales were 5.0% higher than a year earlier, driven by strong growth among nonstore retailers, up 10.1%, and food services, up 6.5%. Overall, retail trade sales increased 4.8% year over year, reflecting steady consumer demand.

Economists expect retail sales to rise 0.4% month-over-month.

Company Earnings (October 13 -17)

Tuesday, October 14: JPM (JPMorgan Chase & Co.)

Tuesday, October 14: JNJ (Johnson & Johnson)

Tuesday, October 14: WFC (Wells Fargo & Company)

Tuesday, October 14: C (Citigroup Inc.)

Wednesday, October 15: BAC (Bank of America Corporation)

Wednesday, October 15: MS (Morgan Stanley)

Friday, October 17: AXP (American Express Company)

Conclusion

Overall, this week’s mix of key economic data and major corporate earnings will provide valuable clues about global growth momentum and inflation trends. Stronger-than-expected figures could reinforce optimism about economic resilience, while weaker results may raise concerns over slowing demand. Market volatility is likely to increase as traders react to these releases, particularly those from the US, which remain central to shaping expectations for future monetary policy.