UK datacentres will create only 25% of jobs predicted, analysis finds

techSep 9, 202625311

Verdant, an environmental thinktank, estimates UK datacentres currently planned will directly employ about 10,400 permanent workers, roughly a quarter of the more than 40,000 jobs projected by industry lobby group TechUK. Verdant based the figure on staffing data from 20 projects drawn from planning applications, company accounts and press releases and on international comparisons. It found existing built datacentres have created fewer than 4,400 direct jobs and produce about 8.6 permanent jobs per megawatt of capacity, versus TechUK’s projection of 43.7 jobs per megawatt. Verdant warns larger planned facilities are likely to be less job-intensive, perhaps creating as few as 1.6 permanent positions per megawatt, and it counts only ongoing operations roles, not temporary construction jobs. James Meadway, Verdant co-director, said government and industry are rushing buildout on flimsy economic grounds and that new datacentres impose real costs on local communities and climate ambitions. The government criticised Verdant’s methodology, calling the jobs-per-megawatt comparison misleading and saying the report confuses capacity with actual consumption and downplays the wider economic and national security case for domestic compute capacity. Labour has treated AI datacentres as critical national infrastructure and has appointed AI minister Kanishka Narayan, who has argued for rapid expansion partly on sovereignty grounds.

Prem Sikka

@premnsikka.bsky.social

UK datacentres likely to directly employ 10,400 workers, compared with the 40,000 cited. 8.6 jobs per megawatt of power, compared to 400 in a car plant, 3,600 in a hospital or health facility. Huge consumption of electricity/water, emission of pollution. Need moratorium on expansion.

2355h ago

Jo8

I wonder how many jobs they’ll ultimately destroy too

Sue Krause6

The expansion needs to stop because the UK government has no idea what they will be used for. If the government insists on something being critical to national security infrastructure, then they should bloody know the purpose/function of said infrastructure.

Alex G5

I am sure Boris,David and Rishi have plenty of spare land with which to house one or two.Maybe one of the Royal Palaces?..The world does not require more of this.

Neil B5

Indeed, they will be powered by excess capacity we don't have and cooled by excess water we also don't have.

PontsticInsect5

This is ALWAYS the case where people want you to swallow their lies. Chant the jobs mantra and that sweeps aside any other considerations. And these things NEVER produce the job numbers they tout.

crasus.bsky.social1

Car manufacturing in the UK is dead. The Chinese will dominate the global market

Quoting this

Glyn Moody5

this needs emphasising: there are very few jobs coming from these huge, automated centres, so don't fall for that line

Natacha

@natacha.bsky.social

PSA Burnham is signing off gas-guzzling datacentres without even knowing what they are for. He is hitting the top of the Incompetence and Gullibility scale at tge same time.

The Guardian
Wed 2 Sep 2026 - 14.44 BST
UK GOVERNMENT DOES NOT KNOW WHAT DATACENTRES ARE BEING USED FOR, FOI REQUEST SHOWS.
ZACK POLANSKI
LEADER OF THE GREEN PARTY
"The government plans to steamroller over local opposition so private companies can build these facilities - yet they can't even explain what the benefits are and who is benefiting."
Green Party
Promoted by Chris Williams on behalf of the Green Party of England and Wales c/o PO Box
Green Party London SE1P 6YL

279h ago

Nolan Principles Matter. End the #GazaGenocide💔💙

@philildo.bsky.social

Dear @andyburnham.bsky.social AI #DataCentres aren't nationally significant infrastructure, but I think you'll find that bees are nationally significant - for the survival of humanity Just say no! Most AI is not needed. It's a money-spinning, dangerous enterprise by tech billionaires to make more £

18Yesterday

Donald Campbell

@dncampbell.bsky.social

Important research from @meadwaj.bsky.social showing jobs claims around data centres are hugely overblown: "vast new datacentres arrive at significant real costs to local communities and even our climate ambitions, and their use case has to be made by the government and industry".

43h ago

Jimmy Reid Foundation

@reidfoundation.bsky.social

UK datacentres will create just 25% of jobs predicted by tech sector, analysis finds. Facilities likely to employ 10,400 workers, compared with 40,000 in industry estimates. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

34h ago

I Am Incorrigible

@imincorrigible.bsky.social

Labour's continued great hope to grow the economy will destroy the climate, raise the cost of energy, use massive amounts of the increasingly scarce water we need, oh, and won't produce many jobs. What the fuck are these arsehats doing? #r4today #Datacentres www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

65h ago

Dirty Water Campaign

@dirtywatercampaign.bsky.social

So one of the few things they did tell us is false? We should stop AI data centres being built until we have some complete disclosures about construction, operation, what they are for, and decommissioning. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

35h ago

Sue

@messy-by-name.bsky.social

Well, this should absolutely be public information! Sign and share if you can you lovely lot 😘🙏😘 #DataCentres #Labour

315h ago

Real Gaz on a proper bike: [email protected]

@gazza-d.bsky.social

If you think datacentres are bad, then give up Facebook, Spotify, Google/apple maps etc now. Datacentres must be sustainable though and not draw a lot of water or power from local sources. Reuse as much water as possible. Use renewables such as solar and wind. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

53h ago

Friends of the Earth Scotland 🌍

@foescot.bsky.social

“We’re being rushed into supporting a frantic pace of data centre buildout on very flimsy economic grounds." 🗣️@meadwaj.bsky.social The case for a data centre moratorium grows stronger by the day.

Guardian article headline screengrab. headline reads: UK datacentres will create just 25% of jobs predicted by tech sector, analysis finds

subtitle: Facilities likely to employ 10,400 workers, compared with 40,000 in industry estimates, thinktank says

picture is a data centre under construction

23h ago

justtransitionw.bsky.social

@justtransitionw.bsky.social

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026... Just reminding us all that industry claims are often inflated where jobs promises are concerned. Evidence #Drax claims over its #CCS plans.

14h ago

Mike Jay

@mikejay.link

Datacentres will only create 25% of the jobs cited... Whilst the reason for building datacentres does several things... 1. Substantially increases emissions. 2. Severely reduces human usable water. 3. Severely increases the need for electricity. 4. AI caused jobs removal across ALL sectors.

14h ago

Wood-dweller

@wood-dweller.bsky.social

But will have a massive impact on our environment 🤷‍♂️ www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

4h ago

brad @ of poets & processors (blog)

@poetsprocessors.bsky.social

Not in my backyard, we chant, and no one is listening, not even if we post our objections directly to Instagram or Threads. "data centered, part one" https://poets.8r4d.com/2026/07/10/data-centered-part-one/ #DataCentres #HumanCosts #PoliticalGames #PotentialAmpLoss

10h ago

Aedh MacTire

@tine119.bsky.social

#Datacentres are not a good thing. They damage #Communities, the #Climate and the #economy. They only provide for those that own them. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

14h ago

1 source

theguardian.comUK datacentres will create just 25% of jobs predicted by tech sector, analysis finds

UK datacentres will create only 25% of jobs predicted, analysis findstech How one woman’s Tesla was remotely controlled and used to harass hertech

UK datacentres will create only 25% of jobs predicted, analysis finds

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