The researchers Simon Buechler of Miami University and Lyndsey Rolheiser of York University found that three to five years after a county's first data center opened, it had roughly 1,000 to 1,300 more nonconstruction jobs than similar counties without one. The jobs appeared primarily in industries that support data centers, such as warehousing and technical services, or in real estate. There was little evidence of job growth in consumer-facing businesses.
The study comes amid growing opposition to data center construction across the United States. The authors note that pushback from communities from Ohio to Texas contributed to delays or cancellations of US$156 billion in proposed data center projects in 2025 alone.
Larger facilities brought bigger gains. Each additional megawatt of data center capacity was associated with about 7.4 more local nonconstruction jobs after five years. But the authors say part of that gain reflects further expansion: each megawatt installed was associated with roughly 1.7 additional megawatts of capacity over the following years.
The study has limitations that may affect its relevance to today's market. It covers data centers opened before the current wave of massive AI facilities. The authors did not assess whether the job gains justify the costs to communities, including the large amounts of electricity and water the facilities consume and the substantial tax breaks they may receive.