A theoretical approach to the conventional treatment of joint product in input-output tables

Abstract We compare four conventional methods of the treatment of joint products on the basis of an input–output table, subdivided into use and make matrices. It is shown that the transfer method yields the largest direct and indirect output requirements of all four methods when the share of value added in the total output is constant across activities. The Stone method yields operation levels which are identical to those obtained from the linear productive system, and allows the true levels of direct and indirect requirement to be recovered.