Data center demand outlasts regulatory and tariff headwinds in construction
Hyperscaler demand remains durable enough to absorb new joint employer liability and tariff volatility, but only for firms managing all three simultaneously.
Meta's count of U.S. data centers under construction or operating
Meta broke ground on its 28th U.S. data center today despite two years of steel tariffs and pending joint employer rule expansion.
One pattern. Trace it.
- 01
A pattern worth naming
Expect AGC, ABC, and other trade groups to mobilize formal responses within 30 days. (2) Meta data center pipeline — watch for additional groundbreakings or site announcements; at 28 U.S.
- Shift
Tariffs now rank alongside workforce development on CIRT's CEO agenda for the first time.
- Shift
DOL proposes replacing fragmented circuit court joint employer tests with single federal standard.
- Shift
Hyperscalers expand data center construction into secondary markets like Oklahoma, diversifying beyond coastal hubs.
“Do our current subcontractor agreements survive DOL's proposed control tests, or are we suddenly liable for wage violations we can't see?”
Ask your legal counsel whether current subcontractor agreements survive the DOL's proposed control tests before the comment period closes.
By Joseph Lancaster, Editor — with research from Pine Needle's intelligence layer.
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