Data centers add 1,000–1,300 county jobs, but only after a few years

A study of 1,584 U.S. data centers opened from 2000 to 2023 found counties gained roughly 1,000–1,300 additional nonconstruction jobs, mostly three to five years after opening. Each megawatt of eventual capacity correlates with about 2.7 local jobs outside the facility; gains concentrate in logistics, technical services and real estate, not retail or restaurants.

• 1,584 U.S. data centers opened between 2000 and 2023
• Counties gained 1,000–1,300 nonconstruction jobs after 3–5 years
• About 2.7 local jobs per megawatt of eventual capacity
• A 100-MW facility correlates with ~275 jobs outside it