What happens when economic data surprises?

Markets don't react to the number itself, only to how it compares with what traders expected. Pick a release, then move the sliders.

Surprise (actual − expected)

Try:

What is the market most worried about right now?

Illustrative only, based loosely on US data. The bigger the surprise, the bigger the typical move, but real days are messy and the reaction can be larger, smaller or even the opposite. Not trading advice.

More detail

Headline figures only: real releases also come with revisions and details (like wages in the jobs report) that can matter more. Sizes and impact labels are rough guides.