Data centers are pulling talent away from the rest of the Southeast

For years Northern Virginia was the story. It still has the biggest market by far, with vacancy at 0.2% and more than 2,400 megawatts under construction according to CBRE’s first-half 2026 report. But land and permitting are slowing it down. The Prince William Digital Gateway, which was planned at more than 22 million square feet near Gainesville, is dead after the courts upheld the voided rezoning and QTS dropped its appeal.

The growth has moved south. CBRE reports that Atlanta overtook Northern Virginia as the top market for total construction in North America, with under-construction capacity up 52.3% year over year to 2,882 megawatts.

The Carolinas are next. AWS announced a $10 billion investment in Richmond County, North Carolina. Google committed $9 billion in South Carolina across 2026 and 2027, expanding in Berkeley County and adding two campuses in Dorchester County. Microsoft has started permitting a 1,385-acre site in Person County.

This year’s AGC workforce survey asked about data centers directly. 28% of contractors are doing data center work. Of those, 58% say data center projects have increased competition for skilled workers, and 49% say they’re seeing more wage pressure.

ABC’s latest backlog numbers explain why. Contractors with data center work are carrying 9.9 months of backlog against 8.3 months for those without. About one in six ABC members now has data center work, the highest share ABC has recorded. ENR reports construction unemployment at 3.1%, the lowest in 26 years.

The pressure isn’t just on the trades. Superintendents, project managers and field engineers with mission-critical experience are being approached constantly, often with per diem, bonuses and a clear run of work for several years. A healthcare or multifamily GC trying to hire the same person has to understand what it’s up against.

These are concrete-heavy buildings as well. One industry estimate, from Concrete Products, puts it at one to one-and-a-half million cubic yards of ready-mix for every gigawatt of new capacity. Self-perform concrete superintendents who can run large, fast, highly sequenced pours are in about as much demand as anyone in the market.

Don’t try to match the per diem. Compete on what data center work often can’t offer, which is staying close to home, a normal shift pattern, variety across project types and a clear path to the next level.

Look after the people you already have. The cheapest superintendent you’ll ever hire is the one who doesn’t leave. If your best people haven’t had a conversation about their future in the last six months, someone else is having it with them.

Mission-critical experience is valuable, and it will stay valuable. But ask the hard questions. What happens when this campus finishes? Is the next one in the same state? How much of the package is per diem that stops when you go home? The right move depends on where you want to be in five years, not just the next twelve months.