Minneapolis

Economy

The Twin Cities region has a strong, diversified economy. Thanks to a well-educated work force, average unemployment in the Twin Cities is consistently below the national average, and per capita income is above it. Numerous major corporations are headquartered here, including Cargill, Northwest Airlines, 3M, Honeywell, Weyerhauser, Medtronic, and many more. Reflecting the agricultural legacy of America's heartland, the food-processing industry was historically the mainstay of the area's economy and is still represented by General Mills, Land O'Lakes, Pillsbury, International Multi-foods, and others. The proximity of the University of Minnesota and other research facilities has helped make the Twin Cities one of the nation's major high-technology centers, with over 1,300 research-based high-tech firms. The Twin Cities is also an important financial center—the major one in the upper Midwest, with a number of major financial companies, as well as a branch of the Federal Reserve Bank. Service industries and retailing are also important sectors of the region's economy. Major retailers located in MinneapolisSt. Paul include Dayton Hudson, Target, SUPERVALU, and the Fingerhut catalogue business.