VIX closes at 28.18 after 69.66% surge ahead of US jobs report
Published on 11/06/2026 at 13:02 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSVIX enters Friday at elevated levels
- The VIX closed at 28.18 on November 5, up 69.66% from the previous session.
- The spike followed a sharp selloff in technology and artificial-intelligence shares after the post-election rally.
- The October US employment report, due at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time, is the next major volatility catalyst.
The VIX enters Friday's European midday session at an elevated level after a sharp reversal in US risk sentiment. The volatility index closed at 28.18 on Thursday, November 5, following a steep technology-led equity selloff. The US cash market has not yet opened, so the previous session's close remains the relevant reference for this European premarket report.
Volatility jumps after tech selloff
According to Reuters, the VIX reached an intraday high of 28.36 and closed at 28.18 on November 5. The index rose 11.57 points, or 69.66%, from the November 4 close of 16.61, according to the Yahoo Finance historical quote.
The move came one day after markets had rallied following the US midterm election result. Investors then reassessed the outlook for artificial-intelligence infrastructure and semiconductor demand, sending major technology stocks sharply lower. Reuters reported that the Nasdaq Composite fell 5.5% on Thursday, while the VIX recorded its largest intraday jump in more than 18 months.
Jobs report is next test
The next scheduled event for volatility markets is the October US employment report, due at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time on Friday, November 6. That corresponds to 14:30 in Berlin, after the configured European midday slot. A Reuters report said economists expected payroll growth of 65,000, following a 29,000 increase in September, with the unemployment rate expected to remain at 4.2%.
The employment data may influence expectations for Federal Reserve policy and could therefore reinforce or ease the demand for equity protection. The VIX measures near-term volatility expectations derived from S&P 500 options; Cboe describes it as a gauge of expected S&P 500 volatility rather than a direct measure of realized market movements. The elevated reading therefore signals continued sensitivity to further equity-price swings, without determining their direction.
Further VIX coverage is available on the VIX topic page.
