Jobs · what each number counts
How many jobs do data centres create in Ireland?
About 3,300 people work directly in Ireland's operating data centres, a figure from Maynooth researchers' reading of KPMG's 2 June 2026 report for the Department of Enterprise. KPMG counts 19,500 jobs from building and running them in 2024, including indirect jobs. Its widely quoted 876,000 counts jobs in dependent sectors, not data-centre jobs.
Updated 3 October 2026 · data build 2026-10-10 · how we know · corrections
What each jobs number counts
3,300
Direct permanent jobs in operating data centres
MUSSI WP31 reading of KPMG
19,500
Construction and operation, incl. indirect, 2024
KPMG for DETE
876,000
Jobs in 'dependent' sectors (not data-centre jobs)
KPMG for DETE
Who says what
| Side | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Industry / Government | 876,000 jobs 'enabled' (32% of employment) | KPMG for DETE, The value of data centres to Ireland (Jun 2026) |
| Industry / Government | 19,500 jobs from construction and operation in 2024 (8,316 operations) | KPMG for DETE (Jun 2026) |
| Industry / Government | 17,000 direct staff at AWS, Microsoft, Google and Meta (whole companies) | Bitpower Q4 2024 |
| Critics / researchers | ~3,300 direct permanent data-centre jobs; 144 jobs per 1% of national power | Fearon, Bresnihan & Brodie, MUSSI WP31 (Sep 2026) |
| Critics / researchers | 7,750 direct jobs incl. 6,220 construction | MUSSI WP31 (Sep 2026) |
Our data: No employment data; the directory and AERs give MW per site for jobs-per-MW ratios if operators publish headcounts.