Data Centers to Face Significant Staff Retirements by 2036
The data center industry expects to lose 23% of its workforce to retirement by 2036, necessitating new hiring strategies.
Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Data Centers
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A survey of 300 senior industry leaders indicates that data center operators in the UK, Ireland, and Nordic regions will lose 23% of their staff to retirement by 2036. This projected departure includes approximately 6,340 workers who are expected to retire between 2031 and 2036.
Why it matters
The looming wave of retirements threatens a critical loss of specialized technical knowledge and experienced personnel. Industry leaders are now looking toward apprenticeship and mentoring programs to bridge the impending skill gap.
Operators in the UK, Ireland, and Nordic regions must replace over 6,000 roles, with 10% of businesses anticipating that more than 40% of their staff will retire within the next decade. Nordic operators face the highest pressure, with a projected 28% retirement rate.
The players
Onnec
This company conducted the survey of 300 senior decision-makers to analyze workforce retirement trends within the data center industry.
The details
Onnec conducted the survey to identify the scale of the upcoming labor shortage across key global data hub regions. Companies are being encouraged to formalize knowledge transfer through structured apprenticeships to ensure operational continuity.
Timeline
Approximately 6,340 workers are expected to retire between 2031 and 2036.
The Tech Race
This wave of retirements highlights the industry's struggle to maintain expertise as infrastructure demands grow more complex. The transition to a new generation of workers follows a pattern set by the ongoing technical skills gap in the digital infrastructure sector.
As operators scramble to fill thousands of vacancies, the industry may see increased competition for technical talent, potentially driving up labor costs. This shift could impact how facilities prioritize automation to offset the loss of experienced human oversight.
The takeaway
The data center industry must proactively invest in knowledge transfer now to prevent operational instability during the next decade. Implementing robust mentorship programs today is the most effective way to secure the technical expertise required for future growth.
Further reading
For more on the evolving needs of facility management, visit the Data Centers section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by TechRadar.
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