The labor market needs a limited number of bachelor’s and higher-educated workers. That number is higher than it has ever been. But it is not infinite. We are wise as a community to urge more people to get more education. But we need to look closely at the specific demand.

Our complex economy relies on people doing hundreds of different jobs. Each type of business has its own staffing pattern, which, if organized according to education and skill, will appear in the shape of a pyramid: wider at the base than the top. In every industry, a few managers supervise and direct a staff that is generally less well-educated and more numerous. Overall, the Central Indiana region has more than a million full- and part-time jobs, but only about one in five requires a college degree. The U.S. economy has a similar staffing pattern. Places such as New York, Boston, San Francisco and Seattle have reputations for being smart and sophisticated, but somebody has to wash the dishes in their restaurants, just as they do here.

Some industries have a better ratio of college workers to non-college jobs. Indianapolis and Central Indiana, in theory, could increase the college-educated component of its workforce by expanding the industries with higher college requirements. But that is possible only if the economy demands more of those services, and only if students prepare in adequate numbers for those growing opportunities. Engineering and architectural firms have a larger share of college workers than retail stores or construction companies. But we can expand opportunities for architects only if there is a high demand for new buildings. And if many of the new buildings that the architects design are restaurants or retail stores, then the demand for low-skill workers will go up again as soon as those restaurants and stores are built. A new retail store results in at least 10 sales and clerical jobs for every one new opportunity in management. Even the fast-changing world of health care has a bottom-heavy staffing pattern.

Indianapolis needs highly educated people. And a good education can lead to greater income, more security and a happier, more well-rounded life. We aren’t suggesting otherwise. But rather than making a naïve argument that any college degree is equally valuable for any job seeker, we urge community leaders in Indianapolis and Central Indiana to attend to the details of the local labor market.