US Data Center Boom Leaves Hundreds of Thousands of Skilled Trade Jobs Unfilled

The massive buildout of data centers in the US is becoming a flashpoint in the AI debate. Critics worry about water use, power consumption and noise, but data centers are also creating huge demand for workers, especially in skilled trades. Tim Chadwick, who leads data center operations in Ohio and Indiana for Google, said there are hundreds of thousands of skilled trade jobs open across the US, including senior electricians, pipefitting foremen and project managers.

A JLL report citing US Department of Education estimates says about 2.1 million skilled trade jobs in the US could go unfilled by 2030. McKinsey expects global data center investment to reach $6.7 trillion by 2030 to keep up with computing demand.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said the world is on the eve of the largest infrastructure buildout in human history, which will create a large number of jobs. General Motors CEO Mary Barra also noted that skilled trades may face lower risk from AI, with technicians earning $80,000 to $90,000 a year.

However, the US education system has long emphasized a four-year college path, leaving vocational training underfunded and stigmatized. That has led to an aging skilled workforce and too few new workers. Tough working conditions and project-based mobility make these jobs less appealing. A single data center can create hundreds or thousands of jobs during construction, but operations staff quickly drop to a few dozen once it is running.