Photo via Fast Company
JPMorgan Chase secured nearly $77 million in state and local tax breaks from Rockland County, New York, to expand an existing data center—yet the project is expected to generate just one permanent full-time job. The approval has prompted watchdog groups, including Reinvent Albany, to call it the largest subsidy-per-job deal ever recorded in the United States, raising critical questions about how communities evaluate return on investment for major corporate incentives.
While the expansion will create 150 temporary construction positions, critics argue that data center projects routinely deliver short-term employment gains without lasting economic benefits. According to Brookings research cited in the deal's scrutiny, such facilities provide 'little durable local economic upside' despite their size and capital requirements. The company noted the facility currently employs 70 people at the existing site, but that modest workforce raises questions about scalability and long-term job creation.
The Rockland County Infrastructure Development Agency defended the incentive package by pointing to projected $100 million in broader economic benefits, including ongoing work from electricians and other tradespeople. However, national subsidy watchdog Good Jobs First characterized the arrangement as 'giving away quite a lot of public money in exchange basically for nothing.' This tension between promised economic impact and actual permanent job creation is becoming a flashpoint for communities nationwide.
Opposition to data center incentives is accelerating across the country. According to Fast Company, Change.org saw 113 petitions against data center projects in 2025—up from just one the previous year—with concerns centering on infrastructure costs and electricity demand. At least 20 projects representing $98 billion in investments have been blocked or delayed in 2025 alone, signaling that Atlanta-area leaders should scrutinize similar proposals carefully as the data center boom expands southward.
