Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to “resurrect” the measure of net migration and defend its continued use under specific research circumstances, despite the current dissatisfaction with the measure as expressed by some scholars. We employ data from the 1980 Census of Population to compare five measures of migration, including net migration rates, in- and out-migration rates, migration efficiency ratios and migration turnover rates. We demonstrate the additivity of in- and out-migration rates with net migration rates and migration turnover rates. Also, we show how the migration efficiency ratio and turnover rates are conceptually and mathematically related. Finally, a simple multivariate model is estimated to show how regression coefficients from in-and out-migration rate models are related to net migration and migration turnover rates.
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An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 1987 annual meetings of the Population Association of America. We thank Jan E. Mutchler, Peter Rogerson, and the late Basil Zimmer for comments on a previous draft of the manuscript.
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Galle, O.R., Burr, J.A. & Potter, L.B. Rethinking measures of migration: On the decomposition of net migration. Soc Indic Res 28, 157–171 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01079656
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01079656