The share of good jobs held by individuals with more than a high school degree but less than a BA is growing. This study by the Georgetown Center for Education and the Workforce, funded by JPMorgan Chase & Co., examines national and state labor market trends to determine the requisite credentials for good jobs in different industries. The study defines good jobs as those that provide individual earnings of at least $35,000 for workers under 45 and a median income of $55,000.
Despite a decline in the manufacturing industry, the report finds that “good” blue collar jobs for individuals without a BA grew in 23 states, largely due to growth in construction and other blue collar industries. Since 1991, many states also saw growth in skilled services industries, such as finance, which are becoming a larger share of the good jobs available for workers without a BA.
In addition to national trends, this resource provides state profiles of the number, proportion and type of good jobs available in each state, including the top five industries and occupations for workers without a BA. Although the study does not include labor market projections, this is a critical resource for state and national policymakers to understand the current state of the labor market.
