There were, however, some down-
     turns in the Census Bureau's upbeat
     news.  For the second year in a row
     the earnings gap between men and
     women increased.  Median income
     for women who work full-time, year-
     round, fell slightly to $26,324 from
     $26,433, while median income for
     men working full time rose to $36,376
     from $36,126.
  
     Median household income is the
     level at which half the 120 million
     households in the country bring in
     more money and half bring in less.  It
     is considered a more accurate meas-
     ure than average- household income,
     which can be skewed by a relatively
     few super wealthy families.