Inside Report (6)

More than half of America's children now have mothers working outside the home, the US Labor Department says. A just-released report studying March 1981 shows 31.8 million children below age 18 had working mothers. That number has been growing steady over the past decade. The study adds to the concern of agencies examining the impact of working mothers on educational and disciplinary problems in children. It also raises questions about the strength of today's family.

Inflation and divorce are blamed: More young mothers are being forced into the labor market to balance family budgets; more divorced mothers are taking jobs, too. In March, 1 of every 6 families with children was supported by a woman who was divorced, separated, widowed, or never married.