Use and misuse of the allocation rate in models of population migration.

Abstract

In empirical work on population migration, researchers have utilized many different measures of migration. 1 measure that is used periodically is an "an allocation rate", most commonly defined as the number of persons moving from origin i to destination j during the period. While an allocation rate is a valid and interesting measure, it has been misunderstood in several instances, leading to some empirical results that are difficult to interpret. In this paper, previous work on allocation rates is discussed, and 1 study is replicated for the 1975 to 1980 period. It is demonstrated that inclusion of origin variables in such models is theoretically incorrect and results in substantial biases in empirical work. Inclusion of ratios of destination-to-origin variables is valid only with a very narrow interpretation.