A population magazine sees the affluent '80s

The 1980s should be a decade of affluence, as more women take jobs and the number of two-income families rises, predicts American Demographics magazine. It says the median family income, adjusted for inflation, will rise 11 percent in the decade, from $16,000 to $18,000. It also says that by 1990, 45 percent of all consumer units -- defined as a family, a lodger living with a family, or a person living alone or with a roommate -- will be between the ages of 25 and 44. The magazine, which predicts population trends, says an older labor force should bring increased productivity, a strong demand for housing and household goods, and a larger number of middle-age workers with rising incomes -- all factors that will stimulate the economy.