The artificial intelligence buildout is reshaping America’s labor market, creating a powerful wave of demand for skilled tradespeople as data centers and chip plants rise across the country.
Construction firms are scrambling to find electricians, plumbers, heavy-equipment operators and concrete workers to support the massive infrastructure projects powering AI, cloud computing and 5G networks.
U.S. construction spending is projected to climb from $2.22 trillion in 2026 to $2.85 trillion by 2031, according to a report from Merlo America developed with predictive sales intelligence firm BiltData.ai.
Industrial construction, which includes factories and data centers, is projected to reach $684 billion by 2031, representing 24% of total U.S. construction spending, the report found.
Cole Renken, general manager of Merlo America, the U.S. division of Italian construction equipment manufacturer Merlo Group, said the trades have long been overlooked as a career path.
“For many years, there’s been a lack of focus just in general from what is the benefit of a career in the trades,” Renken said, adding that it offers “a very stable income, very stable lifestyle that you can provide for.”
Renken described the typical progression of large-scale construction projects, beginning with heavy-equipment operators preparing sites and logistics workers coordinating materials before skilled tradespeople move in.
He said electrical workers, in particular, could face especially high demand as data center construction continues to accelerate across the country.
Brittany Kaiser, CEO of AI infrastructure company Alpha Compute, told Fox News Digital that data centers require workers not just during construction but for years afterward, across operations, maintenance and expansion phases.
“These are projects that can provide hundreds or thousands of jobs over many, many years,” Kaiser said. “It’s not a quick construction project.”
Kaiser described data centers as “a constant construction project,” with workers needed across construction, electricity, energy development, monitoring and maintenance as facilities grow.
She also highlighted the potential for workforce development, noting that communities near these projects can benefit from targeted training programs designed to prepare workers for higher-paying specialized roles.
“It’s jobs that can also be taught and trained,” Kaiser said. “So it’s very possible to engage with the community on education and training initiatives to allow people to get access to these higher paying jobs that they didn’t have a skill set for before.”
Renken warned that existing skilled-worker shortages, which have persisted throughout his career, could worsen considerably as more projects come online simultaneously across the country.
He argued the AI boom serves as a broader reminder that even the most advanced technology ultimately depends on physical infrastructure and the skilled hands needed to build and maintain it.
“To me, it has been kind of an overshadowed market that hasn’t gotten the attention that it needs,” Renken said, suggesting the current surge in construction activity may finally change that perception.
