This Week’s Economic Calendar: Holiday Week Volatility Traps (Dec 22–24, 2025)

Holiday weeks can be deceptively dangerous for forex traders.

Even when the calendar “looks light,” liquidity thins out, spreads can widen at awkward moments, and one surprise print can trigger outsized moves—especially on EUR/USD and GBP/USD, where USD-driven volatility tends to dominate.

Below is a clear, practical breakdown of this week’s key events (Dec 22–24, 2025) and exactly what to watch, with an EA-friendly plan to help you avoid getting chopped up.

Times shown are as listed in the attached economic calendar (commonly GMT/Dublin in December). Always double-check your calendar timezone settings.

Why This Week Matters (Even With Christmas Around the Corner)

This is one of those weeks where markets can swing between:

• Low-volatility, range-bound drift (because many traders are away), and
• Sudden, sharp spikes (because fewer orders are sitting in the market to absorb surprises).

That combination is a classic recipe for:

• stop-hunts,
• whipsaws around news,
• and “random” spikes that don’t respect technical levels.

If you trade manually, you need patience.
If you run an EA, you need a news-risk plan.

Key Events At A Glance (What to Care About Most)

Highest impact windows for EUR/USD & GBP/USD

Tuesday, Dec 23

• 13:15 USD – ADP Employment Change (High)
• 13:30 USD – Durable Goods (High)
• 13:30 USD – GDP Growth Rate QoQ (High)

Wednesday, Dec 24

• 13:30 USD – Initial Jobless Claims (High)
• 13:30 USD – Continuing Jobless Claims (High)

If you only mark a few times on your chart this week, mark those.

Monday, Dec 22 — Early Clues (Europe/UK) + A USD Check-In

GBP: Current Account (Q3) — Medium Impact (07:00)

• Previous: -£21.2B
• Consensus: -£21.3B
• Actual: -£12.1B (better / less negative)

Why it matters: A stronger-than-expected external balance can be mildly supportive for GBP—especially in thin liquidity when positioning matters more than usual.

EUR: Balance of Trade (Oct) — Medium Impact (09:00)

• Previous: -€6B
• Consensus: -€6.4B
• Actual: -€4.69B (less negative than expected)

Why it matters: Not usually a “big mover,” but it’s another piece of early-week sentiment supporting the idea that Europe isn’t collapsing—useful context if USD data later disappoints.

USD: Chicago Fed National Activity Index (Sep) — Medium Impact (13:30)

• Previous: -0.31
• Consensus: -0.40
• Actual: -0.21 (less negative than expected)

Why it matters: It’s not the main headline driver, but it helps shape the “US resilience” narrative heading into Tuesday’s heavy hitters.

Tuesday, Dec 23 — The Main Event: USD Data Cluster

Tuesday is the day most likely to decide the week’s direction for EUR/USD and GBP/USD.

13:15 — USD ADP Employment Change (High)

• Previous: 16.25K
• Consensus: (not listed)

How it can move EUR/USD & GBP/USD:

• Stronger jobs print → USD tends to strengthen → EUR/USD down, GBP/USD down
• Weaker jobs print → USD tends to soften → EUR/USD up, GBP/USD up

13:30 — USD Durable Goods Orders (High)

Key items listed:

• Durable Goods Orders MoM (Oct)
  • Previous: 0.5% | Consensus: -1.5%
• Durable Goods ex Defense MoM (Oct)
  • Previous: 0.1% | Consensus: -0.8%
• Durable Goods ex Transport MoM (Oct)
  • Previous: 0.6% | Consensus: 0.3%

Why traders care: This can shift expectations around US growth momentum and rates. During thin holiday conditions, it can trigger sudden “one candle” spikes that don’t retest.

13:30 — USD GDP Growth Rate QoQ (Q3) (High)

• Previous: 3.8%
• Consensus: 3.2%

Also listed nearby:

• GDP Price Index QoQ (Q3) (Medium)
  • Previous: 2.1% | Consensus: 2.7%

Why it matters: If growth + inflation components come in hot, the market may price a more hawkish outlook (USD-positive). If they disappoint, USD can fade quickly.

15:00 — USD CB Consumer Confidence (Medium)

• Previous: 88.7
• Consensus: 92

This can add a second wave of movement after the earlier data—especially if the earlier results were mixed.

Wednesday, Dec 24 — Jobless Claims: The Last Big Catalyst Before Christmas

This is the final major “risk window” in the attached calendar.

13:30 — USD Jobless Claims (High)

• Initial Jobless Claims (Dec/20)
  • Previous: 224K | Consensus: 223K
• Continuing Jobless Claims (Dec/13)
  • Previous: 1897K | Consensus: 1900K
• 4-week Average (Dec/20)
  • Previous: 217.5K | Consensus: 219K

What matters most: The surprise factor.
Markets react most when claims diverge from expectations enough to shift the “labor market cooling vs staying tight” narrative.

Practical Trading Plan: How to Use This Calendar (Without Getting Chopped)

1) Treat Tuesday 13:15–14:00 as the “do not be clever” window

If you trade manually:

• Avoid entering right before ADP/GDP/Durable Goods.
• Let the first spike happen.
• Wait for structure to form (higher low / lower high) before committing.

2) EA traders: reduce exposure around the red zones

If you run automated strategies on EUR/USD or GBP/USD:

• Consider lower risk preset for this week (holiday liquidity).
• If your EA supports it, use a news filter or a “pause trading” window:
  • 30 minutes before to 30–60 minutes after major releases

Even the best strategy can get hit by spread blowouts and slippage in thin markets.

3) Watch spreads like a hawk

Holiday weeks often punish traders through execution, not analysis:

• Wider spreads can turn good entries into instant drawdown.
• Sudden spread spikes can trigger stops that “shouldn’t” be hit.

4) Pick the cleanest sessions

Typically, cleaner moves come from:

• London open to early London
• US data windows (but managed carefully)

Random chop often increases outside those periods—especially near the holidays.

What This Means for Nexus Forex Trading Traders

If you’re running a rules-based approach (manual or EA), weeks like this reward:

• discipline
• controlled risk
• drawdown protection

At Nexus Forex Trading, the entire goal with an automated EUR/USD & GBP/USD approach is not “predicting” every candle—it’s surviving every type of week (including holiday liquidity) with risk controls that keep you in the game.

Action step: Build your week around the high-impact USD windows (Tuesday & Wednesday), and trade smaller or trade less when the market is most likely to spike.

Final Word: Your Edge This Week Is Risk Management

This week’s calendar isn’t about chasing trades—it’s about avoiding the trap of thin liquidity + high-impact data.

Mark the windows, manage exposure, and let the market show its hand before you commit.

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not financial advice. Trading involves risk, and past performance does not guarantee future results.