Bill, I think it is the other way around. 2019 income must be higher than 2021 in order to use 2019 income instead of 2021 income. From irs.gov link: https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/earned-income-tax-credit/earned-income-and-earned...

Election to use prior-year earned income
You can elect to use your 2019 earned income to figure your 2021 earned income credit (EIC) if your 2019 earned income is more than your 2021 earned income.