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ABSTRACTThe purpose of this paper is to examine the usefulness of homothetic reformulations of the shift‐share accounting model to the practitioner of regional growth studies. The reformulations of Esteban‐Marquillas (1972) and Arcelus (1984) are examined to determine if they improve the shift‐share framework as a means for accounting for regional economic growth or decline. The purpose of the homothetic models is to separate out change in a region's employment (or value added) associated with its prior or base year specialization in particular industries from change associated with changes in the mix of industries that occurred during the period under study. It is contended while the resulting accounts may help in understanding individual industry's growth rates, they shed little light on total regional growth. Indiana employment data from 1977 and 1986 are used to illustrate the arguments.