Microsoft and Google overstate job creation at Chile data centers
17 days ago
- #Chile
- #job-creation
- #data-centers
- Google's data center in Quilicura, Chile, is the company's only operational data center in Latin America, powering cloud services and AI.
- Chilean government and tech companies like Google and Microsoft claim data centers will create thousands of jobs, with Microsoft projecting over 81,000 jobs.
- Despite promises, environmental permit filings show data centers directly hire very few full-time employees, mostly in security and cleaning.
- By 2028, 32 more data centers are planned in Chile, but they are expected to add only 909 permanent positions over 30 years.
- Critics argue that job creation estimates are inflated, with most positions being temporary or indirect, and few skilled IT jobs available.
- Data centers in Chile are largely owned by major tech firms and private equity, attracted by the country's renewable energy resources.
- Local opposition cites concerns over high water and energy usage by data centers, with little transparency on environmental impacts.
- Training programs for data center jobs exist, but actual employment opportunities remain limited, with most roles being highly specialized.
- Economic models used to justify job creation are criticized for overstating impacts, as many jobs may not benefit the local economy directly.
- Permit data reveals a stark contrast between public job creation claims and the reality of few long-term positions at individual data centers.