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 8.3 up to ward level.

 Table 8: Overall Employment by education Levels in Homa Bay County

In Homa Bay County, 11% of the residents with no formal education, 11% of those with primary education and 21% of 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 twice the level in Homa Bay 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. Homa Bay County’s Gini index is 0.416 compared with Turkana County, which has the least inequality nationally (0.283).

Less than 1% of residents in Homa Bay County use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and 1% use paraffin, while 84% use firewood and 13% use charcoal. Firewood is the most common cooking fuel by gender with 81% of male headed households and 89% in female headed households using it.

Two constituencies, Ndhiwa and Rangwe, have the highest level of firewood use in Homa Bay County at 93% each. This is 30 percentage points above Homa Bay Town constituency, which has the lowest share. Ndhiwa and Rangwe are 9 percentage points above the county average. Gembe ward has the highest level of firewood use in Homa Bay County at 97%.This is thrice Homa Bay Arujo ward, which has the lowest share at 36%. Gembe ward is 13 percentage points above the county average.

Homa Bay Town constituency has the highest level of charcoal use in Homa Bay County at 32%.This is six times Ndhiwa constituency, which has the lowest share. Homa Bay Town constituency is 19 percentage points above the county average. Homa Bay Arujo ward has the highest level of charcoal use in Homa Bay County at 57%.This is 29 times Homa Bay West ward, which has the lowest share. Homa Bay Arujo ward is 44 percentage points above the county average.

Only 3% of residents in Homa Bay County use electricity as their main source of lighting. A further 21% use lanterns, and 73% use tin lamps. Less than 1% use fuel wood. Electricity use is more common in male headed households at 4% as compared with female headed households at 2%.

Homa Bay Town constituency has the highest level of electricity use at 12%.That is 11 percentage points above Ndhiwa constituency, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Homa Bay Town constituency is 9 percentage points above the county average. Homa Bay Central ward has the highest level of electricity use at 22%.That is 22 percentage points above Gembe ward, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Homa Bay Central ward is19 percentage points above the county average.

In Homa Bay County, 24% of residents have homes with cement floors, while 75% have earth floors. Less than 1% has wood or tile floors. Homa Bay Town constituency has the highest share of cement floors at 43%.That is almost four times Ndhiwa constituency, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Homa Bay Town constituency is 19 percentage points above the county average. Homa Bay Arujo ward has the highest share of cement floors at 67%.That is eight times Kanyamwa Kologi ward, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Homa Bay Arujo ward is 43 percentage points above the county average.

In Homa Bay County, less than 1% of residents have homes with concrete roofs, while 82% have corrugated iron sheet roofs. Grass and makuti roofs constitute 15% of homes, and none have mud/dung roofs.

Kasipul constituency has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 92%. That is 28 percentage points above Ndhiwa constituency, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Kasipul constituency is 10 percentage points above the county average. Rusinga Island ward has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 98%.That is 41 percentage points above Kwabwai ward, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Rusinga Island ward is 16 percentage points above the county average.

Ndhiwa constituency has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 33%.That is five times Kasipul constituency, which has the lowest share of grass/makuti roofs. Ndhiwa constituency is 18 percentage points above the county average. Kwabwai ward has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 41%. This is 40 percentage points above Rusinga Island ward, which has the lowest share. Kwabwai ward is 26 percentage points above the county average.

In Homa Bay County, 11% of homes have either brick or stone walls, while 82% of homes have mud/wood or mud/cement walls. Less than 1% has wood walls, 6% have corrugated iron sheet walls, while less than 1% has grass/thatched walls. Another 1% has tin or other walls.

Kasipul constituency has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 19%.That is three times Ndhiwa constituency, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Kasipul constituency is 8 percentage points above the county average. West Kamagak ward has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 42%.That is 14 times Kabuoch/Pala ward, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. West Kamagak ward is 31 percentage points above the county average.

Rangwe constituency has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 93%.That is 33 percentage points above Homa Bay Town constituency, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement walls. Rangwe constituency is 11 percentage points above the county average. Two wards, Kagan and West Gem, have the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 95% each. That is three times Homa Bay Arujo ward, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement walls. Kagan and West Gemare 13 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 Homa Bay County, 28% of residents use improved sources of water, with the rest relying on unimproved sources. There is no gender differential in use of improved sources with both male and female headed households at 28% each.

Kasipul constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 51%.That is four times Suba North constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Kasipul constituency is 24 percentage points above the county average. West Kamagak ward has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 77%.That is 76 percentage points above Rusinga Island ward, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. West Kamagak ward is 49 percentage points above the county average.

While 42% of residents in Homa Bay County use improved sanitation, the rest use unimproved sanitation. Use of improved sanitation is slightly more in male headed households at 43% as compared with female headed households at 40%.

Kasipul constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 66%.That is three times Rangwe constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Kasipul constituency is 24 percentage points above the county average. West Kamagak ward has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 83%.That is seven times Gembe ward, which has the lowest share of residents using improved sanitation. West Kamagak ward is 41 percentage points above the county average.