COLUMBUS, Ohio – In December, Amazon announced a $10 billion investment in Ohio to build multiple data centers, promising economic growth and job creation. But how many permanent jobs will actually come from this massive project? Experts argue that these facilities—often touted as job creators—are largely automated, require minimal staffing, and drain local resources without delivering the economic benefits advertised.
Big Investment, But Where Are the Jobs?
Amazon’s investment in Ohio is part of a nationwide expansion of cloud computing infrastructure, supporting Amazon Web Services (AWS), the company’s highly profitable cloud division. The State of Ohio and local governments have welcomed the investment, with officials citing economic benefits, job creation, and tech sector growth.
But how many jobs will actually be created?
The Reality of Data Center Employment
Despite the billions of dollars in investment, data centers do not require large workforces. Experts in the tech and energy sectors state that these facilities:
✔ Are highly automated – AI and remote monitoring handle most operations.
✔ Require minimal staffing – A typical hyperscale data center employs only 100 to 300 full-time workers.
✔ Provide mostly temporary jobs – Construction jobs are the bulk of hiring, but once built, staffing drops drastically.
According to data from the Uptime Institute and industry reports, a large-scale hyperscale data center, like the ones Amazon is planning, can operate with as few as 50-100 on-site employees. These roles are often limited to maintenance, security, and IT operations, with many systems remotely managed.
“Amazon touts job creation, but these data centers are largely self-sufficient once built,” said a data infrastructure expert familiar with hyperscale operations. “They don’t require thousands of workers like traditional manufacturing plants or logistics hubs.”
Tax Incentives & Public Costs: Who Really Benefits?
Beyond the low number of permanent jobs, Amazon’s new Ohio data centers come with major tax breaks—raising questions about who actually benefits from these deals.
✔ Amazon has secured millions in local and state tax incentives, reducing its property taxes for years.
✔ Data centers consume massive amounts of electricity, putting pressure on local energy grids and potentially raising utility costs for residents.
✔ Infrastructure demands, including road expansions and utility improvements, are often funded by taxpayer money rather than the company itself.
Power Consumption & Environmental Concerns
Another overlooked issue is the energy demand of these facilities.
- Data centers require enormous amounts of electricity, often drawing power from coal or natural gas plants rather than renewable sources.
- Cooling systems require millions of gallons of water per year, competing with local water supply needs.
- Despite cloud computing being seen as “clean,” the infrastructure supporting it has a significant carbon footprint.
A study from the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) found that U.S. data centers accounted for 2% of the country’s total energy use in 2023, a number that continues to rise with AI and cloud expansion.
“What’s often left out of the conversation is how much strain these facilities put on local resources,” said an environmental policy expert. “Residents may see increased utility costs as demand spikes.”
A Growing National Trend
Ohio isn’t alone in this. Tech giants like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft have been rapidly expanding data center operations across the U.S., often using the same playbook:
✔ Big tax incentives from state and local governments
✔ Low employment numbers despite massive investment figures
✔ High energy consumption with little benefit to surrounding communities
A report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) found that many states grant massive tax breaks to tech companies for data centers, but the economic return is often far less than projected.
“These companies make it sound like data centers will transform the local economy,” said an ILSR researcher. “In reality, they don’t generate long-term employment, and taxpayers are often left footing the bill.”
What Comes Next?
With Amazon pushing forward on its Ohio data center expansion, the state must ask:
✔ Is the investment truly worth the tax incentives being given?
✔ How will local infrastructure and energy grids handle the strain?
✔ What happens if automation further reduces the need for human workers?
Local leaders and Ohio residents must weigh the short-term benefits of Amazon’s investment against the long-term realities of job creation, resource consumption, and public costs.
As Ohio welcomes this $10 billion project, the question remains: Is this truly an economic win, or just another example of Big Tech securing massive tax breaks while delivering minimal benefits to the public?