Artificial intelligence companies are hiring electricians and carpenters by the thousands as they race to build data centers across the country. The demand is pulling skilled tradespeople into remote locations with some of the highest pay and bonuses the industry has ever seen, changing the construction labor market.
The pull of data center megaprojects
OpenAI's project in Saline Township, Michigan, is the biggest single investment in the state's history. It requires hundreds of electricians working 10-hour days, seven days a week. Tyler Shelton, a 29-year-old electrician apprentice in Detroit, said his company has already sent many workers to the site, about an hour away. "Everybody wants that money," he said during a lunch break at his apprenticeship's classroom day. "We have work to do, but we're also losing a good chunk of manpower to these data centers."
Apprentices face a trade-off
At the Detroit Electrical Industry Training Center, where about 850 apprentices train between long days on the job, the megaprojects are a frequent topic. The overtime bonanza is tempting, but Mr. Shelton has mixed feelings. "I'd like to have a house in the next year or so," he said. "So it's like, I understand the draw, but I also like to have a life outside work."
Shifting construction employment
Since ChatGPT's release, commercial construction jobs have risen even as residential hiring has dipped. The data center boom is a key driver, with AI companies spending hundreds of millions of dollars to secure enough skilled labor. The trend is changing the sector, a development tracked in AI for Real Estate & Construction.
Why this matters for real estate and construction professionals
The data center surge is diverting electricians, carpenters, and other trades from traditional commercial and residential projects. Contractors may face labor shortages and rising wage pressures as workers chase overtime pay on remote megaprojects. For developers and project managers, planning around this competition for skilled labor will be critical to keeping timelines and budgets on track.
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