diff --git a/packages/jest-worker/README.md b/packages/jest-worker/README.md
index debdb3518e21..41bdb058e117 100644
--- a/packages/jest-worker/README.md
+++ b/packages/jest-worker/README.md
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ export function hello(param) {
 
 Node shipped with [`worker_threads`](https://nodejs.org/api/worker_threads.html), a "threading API" that uses `SharedArrayBuffers` to communicate between the main process and its child threads. This feature can significantly improve the communication time between parent and child processes in `jest-worker`.
 
-To use `worker_threads` instead of default `child_process` you have to pass `enableWorkerThreads: true` when instantiating the worker.
+To disable the default `worker_threads` and instead use `child_process` you have to pass `enableWorkerThreads: false` when instantiating the worker.
 
 ## API
 
diff --git a/packages/jest-worker/src/WorkerPool.ts b/packages/jest-worker/src/WorkerPool.ts
index 0bf2a72c3ed1..8c556732b8ca 100644
--- a/packages/jest-worker/src/WorkerPool.ts
+++ b/packages/jest-worker/src/WorkerPool.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ import type {
   WorkerOptions,
   WorkerPoolInterface,
 } from './types';
+import ChildProcessWorker from './workers/ChildProcessWorker';
+import NodeThreadsWorker from './workers/NodeThreadsWorker';
 
 class WorkerPool extends BaseWorkerPool implements WorkerPoolInterface {
   send(
@@ -30,9 +32,9 @@ class WorkerPool extends BaseWorkerPool implements WorkerPoolInterface {
   createWorker(workerOptions: WorkerOptions): WorkerInterface {
     let Worker;
     if (this._options.enableWorkerThreads) {
-      Worker = require('./workers/NodeThreadsWorker').default;
+      Worker = NodeThreadsWorker;
     } else {
-      Worker = require('./workers/ChildProcessWorker').default;
+      Worker = ChildProcessWorker;
     }
 
     return new Worker(workerOptions);
diff --git a/packages/jest-worker/src/__tests__/WorkerPool.test.js b/packages/jest-worker/src/__tests__/WorkerPool.test.js
index 91283ef514b8..6aaba1739416 100644
--- a/packages/jest-worker/src/__tests__/WorkerPool.test.js
+++ b/packages/jest-worker/src/__tests__/WorkerPool.test.js
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@ describe('WorkerPool', () => {
   it('should create a NodeThreadWorker and send to it', () => {
     jest.mock('worker_threads', () => 'Defined');
     const workerPool = new WorkerPool('/path', {
-      enableWorkerThreads: true,
       forkOptions: {},
       maxRetries: 1,
       numWorkers: 1,
@@ -102,9 +101,10 @@ describe('WorkerPool', () => {
     );
   });
 
-  it('should avoid NodeThreadWorker if not passed enableWorkerThreads', () => {
+  it('should use ChildProcessWorker if passed enableWorkerThreads: false', () => {
     jest.mock('worker_threads', () => 'Defined');
     const workerPool = new WorkerPool('/path', {
+      enableWorkerThreads: false,
       forkOptions: {},
       maxRetries: 1,
       numWorkers: 1,
diff --git a/packages/jest-worker/src/__tests__/thread-integration.test.js b/packages/jest-worker/src/__tests__/thread-integration.test.js
index 537dcb2d1762..9992d7b5b2e4 100644
--- a/packages/jest-worker/src/__tests__/thread-integration.test.js
+++ b/packages/jest-worker/src/__tests__/thread-integration.test.js
@@ -65,7 +65,6 @@ describe('Jest Worker Process Integration', () => {
 
   it('calls a single method from the worker', async () => {
     const farm = new Farm('/tmp/baz.js', {
-      enableWorkerThreads: true,
       exposedMethods: ['foo', 'bar'],
       numWorkers: 4,
     });
@@ -79,7 +78,6 @@ describe('Jest Worker Process Integration', () => {
 
   it('distributes sequential calls across child processes', async () => {
     const farm = new Farm('/tmp/baz.js', {
-      enableWorkerThreads: true,
       exposedMethods: ['foo', 'bar'],
       numWorkers: 4,
     });
@@ -150,7 +148,6 @@ describe('Jest Worker Process Integration', () => {
 
   it('distributes concurrent calls across child processes', async () => {
     const farm = new Farm('/tmp/baz.js', {
-      enableWorkerThreads: true,
       exposedMethods: ['foo', 'bar'],
       numWorkers: 4,
     });
@@ -179,7 +176,6 @@ describe('Jest Worker Process Integration', () => {
   it('sticks parallel calls to children', async () => {
     const farm = new Farm('/tmp/baz.js', {
       computeWorkerKey: () => '1234567890abcdef',
-      enableWorkerThreads: true,
       exposedMethods: ['foo', 'bar'],
       numWorkers: 4,
     });
diff --git a/packages/jest-worker/src/index.ts b/packages/jest-worker/src/index.ts
index caf909265a8d..65ba40bf0d7c 100644
--- a/packages/jest-worker/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/jest-worker/src/index.ts
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ export class Worker {
     }
 
     const workerPoolOptions: WorkerPoolOptions = {
-      enableWorkerThreads: this._options.enableWorkerThreads ?? false,
+      enableWorkerThreads: this._options.enableWorkerThreads ?? true,
       forkOptions: this._options.forkOptions ?? {},
       maxRetries: this._options.maxRetries ?? 3,
       numWorkers: this._options.numWorkers ?? Math.max(cpus().length - 1, 1),