Google is preparing to go on a hiring spree and will be building five additional data centers across the US, targeting nine states.

Will North Carolina be on the list for new jobs and more data housing?

That’s not clear.

In a conference call with analysts on Thursday to discuss earnings, CEO Sundar Pichai didn’t specify locations for the hiring or additional data hubs  other than to note Colorado and Michigan.

However, the company is committed to growing its footprint outside of Silicon Valley, Pichai said. And North Carolina is already the site of numerous Google operations:

  • A huge data center in Lenoir, which was one of the first data centers Google built
  • A software operation in Chapel Hill focused on mobile software development
  • And its Google Fiber operations in the Triangle as well as Charlotte

“In the U.S. specifically, we have offices and [six] data centers across 21 states and we plan to hire thousands of people across the U.S. this year,” Pichai told analysts.

“Last year in the U.S., we grew faster outside the Bay Area than in the Bay Area. To support this growth, we will be making significant investments in offices across nine states including Colorado and Michigan.

“We will also be building or opening five big new data centers in the U.S. “

He also stressed that Google is working with various partners to help train more workers with information technology skills.

“And with digital skills and high demand by employers, our Grow with Google initiative will have job seekers and small businesses gain education and skills to help them succeed,” Pichai explained.

“Just a couple of weeks ago, we announced that we are creating an IT support certification program that will give thousands of people scholarships and job opportunities. More than 10,000 people have already signed up, which is amazing.”

Google, which is based in Mountain View, Calif., currently has 80,110 employees after recent hires of more than 2,000, according to CFO Ruth Porat.

 

Typically considered a Silicon Valley company, the plans are consistent with Google’s U.S. hiring in recent years.

A single data center only employs between 70 and 350 people. Though their data centers don’t generate huge numbers of jobs, tech companies typically receive local and state tax incentives in exchange for picking certain locations.

 

Facebook has five data centers across the country and plans to open five more. Apple recently said it would invest $30 billion in facilities and create 20,000 jobs in the United States over the next five years. Amazon has turned its search for a second headquarters’ city into a highly publicized contest — dangling the promise of 50,000 new jobs for local tax break offers.