Intel needs 7,000 workers to build its $20 billion chip plant in Ohio

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

According to a report from the Associated Press, Intel will need 7,000 workers to build the largest Silicon manufacturing location on the planet. Competition for workers could slow the pace of homebuilding in the area which is needed to support the growing workforce that Intel's plant is supposed to attract.

The Ohio project was announced by Intel in January of this year. At least 3000 people will be employed at the site once it is finished. It plans to invest $100 billion into the project, expand the site to 2,000 acres, and eventually build a total of eight fabrication plants. There isn't expected to be actual chip production until 25 years from now.

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According to the Associated Press, Intel's project won't require all 7,000 workers at once, and only a fraction of the workers are needed to build the complexes that surround Intel's factories. The business park is dedicated to Intel's suppliers.

The construction of the chip factories is expected to pick up speed now that the president has signed the CHIPS and Science Act. The ceremony for the new chip plant was delayed in order to get Congress to pass the legislation. Thescope and pace of Intel's project depends on the money it gets from the CHIPS Act.

The current state of the construction industry may affect the project. In order to keep up with the demand for labor, the industry will need 650,000 workers, according to the Associated Builders and Contractors. The National Roofing Contractors Association reported a 20.3 percent increase in construction material prices from May to June when compared to the same period last year.