UK datacentre boom may deliver only a quarter of promised jobs, study finds
Research by think-tank Verdant shows that planned UK datacentres are likely to employ about 10,400 people, far fewer than the 40,000-plus jobs cited by industry lobby TechUK.
A new Verdant report challenges industry claims that UK datacentres will spark a major hiring surge, projecting only 10,400 permanent jobs from all planned sites versus the more than 40,000 projected by TechUK. The analysis draws on publicly available staffing information for 20 datacentre projects and compares current output, which has yielded under 4,400 jobs at a rate of 8.6 jobs per megawatt of electricity consumed, to the industry’s estimate of 43.7 jobs per megawatt.
Verdant argues that upcoming, larger-scale facilities will be even less job-rich, possibly providing just 1.6 permanent positions per megawatt. Labour has classified AI datacentres as critical national infrastructure to speed planning, while the Green Party calls for a moratorium, citing water use and climate impacts. Government spokespeople dismissed Verdant’s methodology, emphasizing broader economic and security benefits, and TechUK defended its figures as based on standard impact assessments. The debate highlights tensions between economic promises, environmental costs, and national sovereignty arguments surrounding the rapid expansion of digital infrastructure.
Why it matters
The dispute over datacentre job claims affects UK employment forecasts, energy use and climate goals.
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