WASHINGTON — Workers with higher levels of education will be better off economically, according to a new report.

Researchers found that by 2031, 85% of good jobs will go to people with bachelor’s degrees or other forms of post-secondary education.

Artem Gulish, senior adviser for federal policy at Georgetown University’s Center for Education and the Workforce and author of the report, said even traditional blue-collar jobs such as construction will increasingly require apprenticeships or courses in fields such as engineering and technology.

“While this number of jobs will increase due in part to infrastructure investments made by the federal and state governments in recent years, these opportunities will shift to intellectual skills,” Gulish stressed.

Gulish noted that a good job pays at least $43,000 a year for workers ages 25 to 44. He said that over time, it will become more difficult for those with only a high school diploma to earn the same salary. About 40% of Virginia residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher, putting the state among the top 10 in the country.

In general, the number of people entering college is declining, especially among men. Gulish acknowledged that the future job market is not set in stone, especially as technologies such as artificial intelligence are constantly evolving. But a college degree often increases employment opportunities.

“We see that the future will not look like the present,” Gulish stressed. “The ability to adapt, learn, upskill, retrain and acquire new skills will definitely be an advantage.”

The Georgetown University report concludes that there will be more good jobs on the market by 2031 than there are today. This is partly because policymakers are under pressure to ensure higher quality jobs, not just reduce unemployment.

Support for this reporting was provided by the Lumina Foundation.