AI Buildout Lifts U.S. Construction Spending to $2.85 Trillion by 2031

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 28

$2.85 trillion in U.S. construction spending is projected for 2031, up from $2.22 trillion in 2026, as AI-driven data center and chip-plant construction boosts demand for blue-collar labor.
$684 billion of that 2031 total is expected to come from industrial construction—24% of all spending—with electricians, plumbers, concrete crews and heavy-equipment operators needed at nearly every stage.
Data centers also extend hiring beyond the build phase, requiring workers to install equipment, maintain operations, support energy infrastructure and handle repeated expansions that can last for years.
Skilled-labor shortages could tighten further as projects multiply, even as the boom draws fresh attention to trade careers and community training for higher-paying jobs.