A study by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the University of Illinois Project for Middle Class Renewal projects that $57 billion in new data center investments through 2035 will create 121,000 jobs in Illinois, though only 2,800 of those would be direct, permanent positions. The report estimates data centers would generate nearly $300 million in annual property tax revenue once operational, while adding an average of $12 per month to Illinois residents' utility bills, a figure utility watchdogs call too low. In 2024, Meta paid $31 million in property taxes on its data center in DeKalb County, though the city reduced the assessed taxes, limiting the benefit to local homeowners. The report puts forward 10 policy proposals, including a ban on local property tax abatements, after lawmakers failed to pass data center regulations in the spring session and Governor JB Pritzker paused the state's data center tax incentive program.
With more than 240 planned or active data centers already in Illinois and an estimated $660 million in tax breaks extended as of 2025, the findings give state lawmakers a quantitative framework for evaluating whether current incentives produce sufficient public benefit. The gap between 121,000 projected jobs and just 2,800 permanent positions is central to the ongoing debate over whether large public subsidies for data centers are justified by lasting economic outcomes.
This WIFR report on Illinois data center job creation projections—flagging that most jobs would be temporary—adds a nuanced local economic impact angle distinct from the already-published $57 billion Illinois study, focusing specifically on job quality and quantity figures. The 'mostly temporary' qualifier is a notable finding that merits coverage.