Data Center Employers Face Acute Shortage of Skilled Workers, Kelly Services Report Finds

HR Dive · United States · Sep 3, 2026

A new Kelly Services report finds that data center employment is expected to reach 650,000 positions by 2026—a 30% increase from 2023—while acute shortages of construction, utilities, and telecom workers are constraining industry growth. With 25% of data center personnel being poached by competing hyperscalers, Kelly recommends employers recruit from adjacent technical sectors and implement rapid upskilling programs. Salary competition is intense, with national midpoint estimates ranging from $128,000 for construction managers to $178,000 for data center operators, varying by up to 46 percentage points across U.S. markets. For staffing firms, the data center buildout represents a significant placement opportunity, particularly in skilled trades and engineering disciplines.