WASHINGTON: Google announced plans Thursday to invest more than $7 billion in the United States this year and create thousands of jobs in a move aimed at helping the economic recovery.

Chief executive Sundar Pichai said the move will create "at least 10,000 new full-time Google jobs in the US this year." Much of the investment will go to data centers that power the tech giant's internet search, emails and other services which have been expanding during pandemic.

Pichai said Google "wants to be a part" of America's economic recovery from the pandemic and is investing in some communities that are new to the company, as well as expanding in others across 19 states.