Tech giants spending $700 billion on AI data centers are recruiting military veterans to fill thousands of jobs

Tech giants spending $700 billion on AI data centers are recruiting military veterans to fill thousands of jobs Vawn Himmelsbach Tue, July 14, 2026 at 6:30 PM GMT+2 6 min read Olena Yakobchuk/Shutterstock For veterans, making the transition to civilian life can be a bumpy one. While they gained on-the-job skills like teamwork and problem-solving, they may have a hard time leveraging those skills after they leave the military. As of June 2026, the veteran unemployment rate sat at 4.

1% (about 292,000 vets). That's slightly higher than the unemployment rate for the civilian population, which sits at 4. 0%, according to data from the U.

S. Bureau of Labor (1)Statistics (1). Must Read Jeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 — 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being one Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake — here's what it is and 3 simple steps to fix it ASAP Millionaires under 43 hold only 25% of their wealth in stocks.

Here's where their money is actually going But there's one area where companies can't find enough workers: data centers. And, as AI drives massive data center growth, it's fueling a massive hiring push. For some companies, veterans represent an untapped labor pool.

The data center skills shortage Tech giants Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta and Amazon are spending nearly $700 billion this year to construct data (2)centers (2). But there aren't enough workers to build or maintain them. "Ultimately, the real constraint on global tech growth isn't solely related to a shortage of microchips, energy or capital; it is the severe scarcity of the specialized talent required to build it," Sander van't Noordende, CEO of recruitment firm Randstad, told (3)CNBC (3).

There are labor shortages in jobs ranging from specialized engineers and cybersecurity professionals, to electricians, plumbing and HVAC professionals. And there's a growing need for 'new-collar' workers. New-collar jobs sit at the intersection of white-collar and blue-collar jobs.

They require technical proficiency, but not necessarily a four-year academic degree. Rather, skills are learned through training and hands-on learning. And they tend to pay well — often in the six-figures.

"Because these jobs are tied to emerging tech, responsibilities shift more often than in traditional roles," according to Mercer, a global workforce consulting firm (4). That means skills are quickly evolving. "A worker trained through bootcamps or on-the-job learning can gain relevant experience more quickly than someone in a four-year program," according to Mercer.

And that's an area where veterans have transferable skills: they understand bootcamps and on-the-job training. Story Continues Read More: Are you paying too much for car insurance? Here are 3 clever ways to slash your monthly bill The military veteran pipeline Salute Mission Critical, a global data center services company, has developed a program that trains and hires veterans that have come out of service.

"They already have certain disciplines and skills that we found as transferable," Erich Sanchack, CEO of Salute, told Maria Sara Bartiromo on an episode of Fox Business's Mornings with (5)Maria (5). Sanchack said most data center service providers recruit within the industry. Salute has taken a different approach by turning to an often-forgotten talent pool: veterans.

The company's recruitment, training and deployment practices are also based on the principles of military training and practices. "We know that they have that team orientation. They have the understanding of what the protocols are and why they're so important," he said.

"And then we can hone in on training them. " So far, the company has trained more than 10,000 veterans to maintain and service data centers. And, with the AI industry booming, it's looking to hire more than 10,000 more workers over the next three years.

Another such program is the Military Datacenter Pathway-VETS program, offered by Hiring Our Heroes, a U. S. Chamber of Commerce (6)Foundation (6).

Veterans with electrical, mechanical, maintenance or HVAC experience can train for critical environment technician (CET) roles in Microsoft data centers. A CET monitors, troubleshoots and maintains critical data center infrastructure. The training takes eight weeks, including seven weeks of virtual training (about 10 hours per week) followed by one week of full-time, in-person training to apply virtual learnings to the real world.

Participants are paid a stipend of $20 an hour while they complete the training. The AI job paradox While AI is contributing to layoffs in white-collar jobs, it's also creating a shortage of workers who can build, design and support data centers that power AI. According to Randstad's latest labor market analysis, AI is "actively redefining what it means to work in the skilled (7)trades (7).

" Digital fluency is now a prerequisite. "This convergence means the skilled trades are moving closer to traditional knowledge work, requiring a global re-rating of these career tracks and a shift toward continuous education and training opportunities," according to Randstad. Demand for skilled trades is growing three times faster than professional roles, according to Randstad.

Since late 2022, demand for robotics technicians surged 107%, while industrial automation technicians jumped 51%. Demand for traditional skilled trades, including construction workers, welders and electricians, jumped 27%. At the same time, there's a crippling labor shortage.

The construction industry alone will need nearly half a million new workers in 2027, according to estimates from the Associated Builders and Contractors trade group. That's up from the 349,000 needed this (8)year (8). Yet, in many of these trades, more workers are retiring than entering the field.

For example, about one-fifth of all electricians are over the age of 55. Yet, there's surging demand for electricians who can handle precision wiring in data center construction (8). Given this labor shortage, "the companies that win this talent race will be the ones investing in both traditional recruiting and non-traditional workforce development," William Self, chief workforce strategist at Mercer, said during a virtual press briefing (as reported by (3)CNBC (3)).

That includes military veteran pipelines — like what Salute is doing. But it's not the only one. If you're looking for new-collar job opportunities — whether or not you're a veteran — seek out apprenticeship programs, community college partnerships, vocational training at trade and technical schools, micro-credential programs and bootcamps.

After all, veterans aren't the only ones who might be struggling to get into the workforce. You May Also Like 'Gold still crashing! ': Robert Kiyosaki admits he was wrong — but doubles down on his $35K prediction The tax breaks in Trump's 'big beautiful bill' expire after 2028 — and experts say most people won't act in time.

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Department of Labor ( 1 ); CNBC ( 2 ), ( 3 ); IMercer ( 4 ); Fox Business ( 5 ); Hiring Our Heroes ( 6 ); Randstad ( 7 ); ABC ( 8 ) This article originally appeared on Moneywise. com under the title: Tech giants spending $700 billion on AI data centers are recruiting military veterans to fill thousands of jobs This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.