UK datacentres will create just 25% of jobs predicted by tech sector, analysis finds
Facilities likely to employ 10,400 workers, compared with 40,000 in industry estimates, thinktank says Datacentres in the UK will create just a quarter of the jobs predicted by the tech sector, while consuming vast amounts of energy, according to new research. Environmental thinktank Verdant predicts that all the datacentres currently planned are likely to directly employ 10,400 workers –…
A new analysis by environmental thinktank Verdant suggests that UK datacentres will generate only about a quarter of the jobs projected by the tech sector. According to Verdant's research, the 20 completed projects currently under analysis are expected to directly employ around 10,400 workers, whereas industry estimates predict over 40,000 jobs.
The thinktank also highlights that these datacentres will consume a substantial amount of energy, raising concerns about their environmental impact. The government has defended the rapid rollout of AI datacentres, emphasizing their potential benefits, while Labour supports their development as critical national infrastructure. However, critics argue that the job creation projections are overly optimistic and that datacentres could pose significant risks to local communities and climate goals.
The thinktank also points out that the jobs created per megawatt of energy used by these centers are far fewer than those in other industries, such as car plants or hospitals, casting doubt on the perceived economic value of such investments.
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