The 2009 population and housing census covered in brief the labour status as tabulated below. The main variable of interest for inequality discussed in the text is work for pay by level of education. The other variables, notably family business, family agricultural holdings, intern/volunteer, retired/homemaker, fulltime student, incapacitated and  no work are tabulated and presented in the annex table 7.3 up to ward level.

 Table 7: Overall Employment by education Levels in Garissa County

In Garissa County, 7% of the residents with no formal education, 13% for those with primary education and 31% for those with a secondary level of education or above are working for pay. Work for pay is highest in Nairobi at 49% and this is 18 percentage points above the level in Garissa for those with a secondary level of education or above.

In this report, the Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of consumption expenditure among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. A Gini index of '0' represents perfect equality, while an index of '1' implies perfect inequality. Garissa County’s Gini index is 0.436 compared with Turkana County, which has the least inequality nationally (0.283). 

Less than 1% of residents in Garissa County use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and 1% use paraffin. A total of 73% use firewood and 24% use charcoal. Firewood is the most common cooking fuel by gender with 75% of male headed households and 64% in female headed households using it.

Lagdera constituency has the highest level of firewood use in Garissa County at 98%.This is almost five times Garissa Township constituency, which has the lowest share. Lagdera constituency is about 25 percentage points above the county average. Dekaharia ward has the highest level of firewood use in Garissa County at 100%.This is 25 times Township ward, which has the lowest share at 4%. Dekaharia ward is 27 percentage points above the county average.

Garissa Township constituency has the highest level of charcoal use in Garissa County at 71%.This is 70 percentage points more than Lagdera constituency, which has the lowest share. Garissa Township constituency is about 47 percentage points above the county average. Township ward has the highest level of charcoal use in Garissa County at 79%. This is 79 percentage points more than Dekaharia ward, which has the lowest share. Township ward is 55 percentage points above the county average.

Only 15% of residents in Garissa County use electricity as their main source of lighting. A further 19% use lanterns, and 31% use tin lamps. Just 13% use fuel wood. Electricity use is more common in female headed households at 22% as compared with male headed households at 13%.

Garissa Township constituency has the highest level of electricity use at 53%.That is 53 percentage points above Lagdera constituency, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Garissa Township constituency is 38 percentage points above the county average. Township ward has the highest level of electricity use at 92%.That is 92 percentage points above Fafi, Bura, Abakaile, Dertu, Maalamin, Modogashe, Sankuri and Sangailu wards, which have no level of electricity use. Township ward is 77 percentage points above the county average.

In Garissa County, 25% of residents have homes with cement floors, while 73% have earth floors. Less than 1% has wood floors and just 1% has tile floors. Garissa Township constituency has the highest share of cement floors at 71%.That is 35 times Lagdera constituency, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Garissa Township constituency is 46 percentage points above the county average. Township ward has the highest share of cement floors at 90%.That is 90 percentage points above Maalamin ward, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Township ward is 65 percentage points above the county average.

In Garissa County, less than 1% of residents have homes with concrete roofs, while 30% have corrugated iron sheet roofs. Grass and makuti roofs cover 67% of homes, and less than 1% has mud/dung roofs.

 Garissa Township constituency has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 75%.That is 25 times Balambala constituency, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Garissa Township constituency is 45 percentage points above the county average. Township ward has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 88%.That is 87 percentage points above Baraki ward, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Township ward is 58 percentage points above the county average.

 Balambala constituency has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 95%.That is six times Garissa Township constituency, which has the lowest share of grass/makuti roofs. Balambala constituency is 28 percentage points above the county average. Three wards, Baraki, Sabena and Danyere, have the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 99% each. This is 98 percentage points above Township ward, which has the lowest share. Baraki, Sabena and Danyere are 32 percentage points above the county average.

In Garissa County, 23% of homes have either brick or stone walls,15% have mud/wood or mud/cement walls,7% have wood walls,1% has corrugated iron walls, while 54% have grass/thatched walls and 1% has tin or other walls.

Garissa Township constituency has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 69%.That is 68 percentage points above Lagdera constituency, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Garissa Township constituency is 46 percentage points above the county average. Township ward has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 87%. That is 87 percentage points above Baraki ward, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Township ward is 58 percentage points above the county average.

Garissa Township constituency has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 20%.That is almost twice Lagdera constituency, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement. Garissa Township constituency is 5 percentage points above the county average. Jarajara ward has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 47%.That is 46 percentage points above Fafi ward, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement walls. Jarajara ward is 32 percentage points above the county average.

Improved sources of water comprise protected spring, protected well, borehole, piped into dwelling, piped and rain water collection while unimproved sources include pond, dam, lake, stream/river, unprotected spring, unprotected well, jabia, water vendor and others.

In Garissa County, 51% of residents use improved sources of water, with the rest relying on unimproved sources. Use of improved sources is higher in female headed households at 59% compared with male headed households at 49%.

Dadaab constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 92%.That is 9 times Balambala constituency, which has the lowest share of residents using improved sources of water. Dadaab constituency is 41 percentage points above the county average. Goreale ward has a universal access to improved sources of water at 100%.That is 99 percentage points above Sangailu ward, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Goreale ward is 49 percentage points above the county average.

While 22% of residents in Garissa County use improved sanitation, the rest use unimproved sanitation. Use of improved sanitation is higher in female headed households at 31% as compared with male headed households at 19%.

Garissa Township constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 62%.That is 16 times Lagdera constituency, which has the lowest share of residents using improved sanitation. Garissa Township constituency is 40 percentage points above the county average. Township ward has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 81%.That is 81 percentage points above Hulugho ward, which has the lowest share of residents using improved sanitation. Township ward is 59 percentage points above the county average.