U.S. Data Center Expansion Faces Skills Shortage and Disinformation Pushback

A McKinsey report released for 2025 projects that global investment in data center infrastructure will approach $7 trillion by 2030, with more than 40 percent of that spending in the United States. Each new data center can employ up to 1,500 workers—electricians, technicians, construction crews—and generate roughly three additional jobs in the surrounding economy, offering wages that often exceed $100,000.

State lawmakers and major technology firms are countering a wave of misinformation that portrays data centers as threats to local water supplies and electricity grids. Economist Stephen Moore told the Just the News show, “If a community decides they don’t want a data center, don’t build it there… but we need to double or triple the number of data centers if we’re going to lead this revolution in technology.” President Trump echoed the urgency, warning that restricting AI and data‑center growth could let China overtake the United States.

The combined push highlights both the economic opportunity of expanding digital infrastructure and the political effort to address public concerns and skilled‑trade shortages.