Apple is ramping up hiring for its North Carolina data center. Apple has posted 10 new jobs on its web site for Maiden, North Carolina, about 30 miles northwest of Charlotte. reports the "Associated Press" (http://macosg.me/2/1l).

The positions include maintenance and electrical technicians, a shift supervisor, and site administrators. Another nine job openings in Charlotte and Hickory may be related to the data center, which is expected to employ about 50 full-time workers, says the "Associated Press."

Last year it was announced that Apple would build a data center in Catawba County on the outskirts of Maiden. Maiden and Catawba County agreed to US$7.3 million in incentives for Apple in order for them to build the center there. The company will build a 500,000-square-foot facility along U.S. Highway 321. However, no one knows exactly what the data center will be used for.