Kiplinger's Economic Calendar for This Week (March 4-8)

Below is a 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.

Earnings calendar highlights

Monday (3/4)

There are no noteworthy economic reports scheduled for Monday, March 4.

Subscribe to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

Be a smarter, better informed investor.

Save up to 74%

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters

Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.

Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.

Sign up

Tuesday (3/5)

Wednesday (3/6)

Jerome Powell heads to Capitol Hill

When Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks, the markets tend to listen. That's why Powell's two-day testimony in front of Congress, which begins Wednesday morning, is a key event on the economic calendar.

Powell last appeared in front of Congress in June 2023, just as the central bank was nearing the end of its aggressive series of rate hikes that brought the federal funds rate to its current 23-year-high range of 5.25% to 5.5%. 

While market participants are anxious for the Federal Reserve to start cutting interest rates, recent commentary from Powell and other central bank officials indicate they will not do so until they are certain inflation is coming down to the Fed's 2% target. 

Don Montanaro, president of Firstrade, a leading online brokerages for active retail traders, agrees that the Fed's job is not done yet. "If we need to stay the course with interest rates where they are to bury the danger of inflation and the damage that would do, so be it," Montanaro says. "The market is super strong and frankly doesn't need any help from the Fed, and banks are so far resilient; I say let's all be patient."

Thursday (3/7)

Friday (3/8)

February jobs report in focus Friday

The ongoing strength of the labor market has been a thorn in the side of the Federal Reserve and its attempts to bring inflation down by slowing the economy. The January jobs report showed the U.S. added a brow-raising 353,000 new jobs to start the year, easily topping expectations for 185,000 new jobs. Additionally, the unemployment rate stayed at 3.7%.

However, David Payne, staff economist at Kiplinger, says there was "some evidence of modest weakening, as the number of workers forced to work part-time schedules because of soft demand rose in January." As such, Payne's jobs outlook projects "a modest slowing of the economy in the near future, which should boost the unemployment rate a bit, but only to 4.2%."

As for the February jobs report, the data "should confirm the labor market remains on strong footing," says Michael Gapen, economist at BofA Securities. "Employment likely increased by 215,000, and the unemployment rate should remain at 3.7%."

Reporting schedules are provided Forex Factory and MarketWatch.

Related content

• When Is the Next Fed Meeting?
• When Is the Next CPI Report?
• When Is the Next Jobs Report?
• Stock Market Holidays in 2024
• Stock Market Trading Hours