Data Centers Are Sucking Up So Many Construction Workers That There Isn’t Anybody Left to Build Houses, Expert Says
"Many of those people that were in housing are going to these data centers." The post Data Centers Are Sucking Up So Many Construction Workers That There Isn’t Anybody Left to Build Houses, Expert Says appeared first on Futurism .
US home sales have hit their lowest point in three years, with new home construction falling to its lowest level in over three and a half years in July, signaling a struggling housing market. While inflation and wage stagnation are major contributors to this situation, another factor is emerging: the construction of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers.
The Center Square reports that the rush to build these facilities is drawing away skilled trades workers who could otherwise be constructing new housing. Ed Brady, CEO of the Home Builders Institute, explains that the American skilled trades industry is currently short 300,000 workers. Those available are gravitating towards data center construction, exacerbating the housing shortage.
While labor shortages in construction have been an issue since the 2008 recession, the surge in data center development is worsening the problem. Brady warns that the issue will only worsen without increased investment in training future generations of skilled labor.
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