Google to invest over $7 billion in U.S. offices, data centers this year

[March 18, 2021]  (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google said on Thursday it plans to invest over $7 billion in offices and data centers across the United States as it takes on a surge in internet traffic after pandemic restrictions drove more users and advertisers online.

The company's investment related to U.S. offices and data centers was over $10 billion last year and more than $13 billion in 2019.

The latest investment includes expansion plans for data centers in Nebraska, South Carolina and Texas, the company said on Thursday.

Google is also spending $1 billion in its home state of California. The move comes at a time when many companies are exiting Silicon Valley after the pandemic triggered a broader shift to remote work, making companies reconsider the state's higher operational costs and hefty taxes.

The investments would create at least 10,000 new full-time Google jobs, Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai said.

(Reporting by Munsif Vengattil in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)

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