Kiplinger's Economic Calendar for This Week (April 29-May 3)

This week's economic calendar is loaded with key events, including the latest Fed meeting. We'll preview what's expected from this gathering, but one thing's for sure – no rate cuts. Once the central bank releases its policy statement Wednesday afternoon – followed by Fed Chair Powell's highly anticipated press conference – investors will turn their attention to Friday's jobs report. Will the labor market stay tight? We take a closer look at what economists' are anticipating.

Read on to see the entire weekly economic calendar of the most important upcoming economic reports scheduled to be released over the next several days. At times, we provide expanded previews and recaps for select reports.  

Please check back often. This economic calendar is updated regularly. Bolded reports are those considered more noteworthy and all reporting times are in Eastern Standard Time. 

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Economic calendar highlights

Monday (4/29)

There are no noteworthy economic reports scheduled for Monday, April 29.

Tuesday (4/30)

Wednesday (5/1)

Fed meeting concludes, Powell presser in focus

Wednesday afternoon's policy statement from the Federal Reserve and subsequent press conference from Fed Chair Jerome Powell are arguably the most anticipated events on the economic calendar. 

No change to the federal funds rate is expected this time around but Wall Street will be watching the statement and Powell's presser for potential hints on the Fed's rate-cut timeline. In mid-April, the Fed chief warned that interest rates will stay restrictive as sticky inflation persists.

"Recent inflation data has not given the Fed the confidence it desires to begin its easing cycle," says a team of economists at BofA Securities. "We expect the main message from the press conference to be that policy needs more time to work," though Powell should indicate that the next move will be a rate cut, not a rate hike.

Thursday (5/2)

Friday (5/3)

April jobs data due Friday

The March jobs report blew past economists' expectations, with data showing the U.S. added 303,000 new jobs vs estimates for 200,000. Additionally, the unemployment rate edged lower, to 3.8% from 3.9%.

However, one positive data point helping support calls for the Fed to start cutting rates sooner rather than later was annual wage growth, which slowed to 4.1% in March.

This time around, Barclays economists expect the nonfarm payrolls data to show the U.S. added 250,000 new jobs in April, easing back from March's monster gains. The group expects the unemployment rate to stay at 3.8% and for wages to be up 4.0% year-over-year.

Reporting schedules are provided Forex Factory and MarketWatch.

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