(Reuters) - Alphabet Inc’s Google will invest $7 billion in offices and data centers across the U.S. this year, down from the $10 billion last year, and create 10,000 new full-time jobs as it takes on a pandemic-driven surge in internet traffic. The latest investment includes expansion plans for data centers in Nebraska, South Carolina and Texas, and its offices in Atlanta, D.C., Washington, Chicago and New York. 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. It currently employs more than 84,000 staff in the country. In 2020, Google’s services contributed to $426 billion of economic activity in the United States, Pichai added.