Twin Cities women exceed the national average by almost 27 percent compared to the 14 percent above-national norm for Twin Cities men. A partial explanation may be the tight job market. It is far easier to be employed in a metro area with unemployment around two percent than in a metro area with seven percent unemployment. Since unemployment is greater for the less educated, a higher level of education among the area's workforce here helps keep unemployment down and employment up. Another factor is Grandma and Grandpa's retirement to Florida.
New immigrants tend to have higher rates of unemployment.