Data center demand is exploding, and skilled trade workers — especially electricians — struggle to keep up, reports CBS News.
Data centers now compete with factories and manufacturing for trained electricians and HVAC technicians. As older workers retire and fewer young people enter trades, the gap widens.
Electrician Kevin Fishback sees the urgency. His local union recruits apprentices aggressively, emphasizing that trades offer benefits such as insurance, pension, and stable pay. In Chicago, experienced technicians in HVAC can pull in more than $150,000 annually without burdening themselves with student debt.
According to CBS News, roughly 400,000 skilled trade positions remain unfilled across the U.S., and experts estimate that number could rise toward two million by 2033. (CBS News)
As data centers expand nationwide, electricians who train now position themselves for strong job security, rising wages, and long-term career growth.
CBS News
Data center demand is booming. Can the supply of trade workers keep up?
VIDEO: Brandyn Frye feels squeezed by two businesses trending in opposite directions — data centers such as one he manages outside Chicago hum along with soaring demand for workers to keep them running.
"Everything in here needs service — tech support, HVAC support, electricians," Frye said.
But the supply of technical support he needs available 24/7 keeps shrinking, threatening his ability to retain customers.
Data centers now compete with factories and manufacturing plants for electricians and plumbers. As older blue collar workers retire, younger people look at college and white collar jobs.
Roughly 400,000 skilled trade jobs are unfilled in America, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By 2033, it's estimated that number could hit close to 2 million, according to Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute.
