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 17.3 up to ward level.

 Table 17: Overall Employment by Education Levels in Kisumu County

In Kisumu County, 19% of the residents with no formal education, 20% of those with a primary education and 32% 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 17 percentage points above the level in Kisumu for those with secondary or above level of education.

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. Kisumu County’s Gini index is 0.430 compared with Turkana County, which has the least inequality nationally (0.283).

Only 3% of residents in Kisumu County use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and 7% use paraffin. 58% use firewood and 29% use charcoal. Firewood is the most common cooking fuel by gender with 51% of male headed households and 71% in female headed households using it.

Seme constituency has the highest level of firewood use in Kisumu County at 92%. This is 23 times Kisumu Central constituency, which has the lowest share. Seme constituency is about 34 percentage points above the county average. Two wards, East Seme and East Kano/Wawidhi, have the highest level of firewood use in Kisumu County at 96% each. This is 95 percentage points above Shauri Moyo/Kaloleni ward, which has the lowest share. East Seme and East Kano/Wawidhi are 38 percentage points above the county average.

Kisumu Central constituency has the highest level of charcoal use in Kisumu County at 62%.This is almost nine times Seme constituency, which has the lowest share. Kisumu Central constituency is 33 percentage points above the county average. Manyatta B ward has the highest level of charcoal use in Kisumu County at 72%.This is 24 times East Seme ward, which has the lowest share. Manyatta B ward is 43 percentage points above the county average.

Only 18% of residents in Kisumu County use electricity as their main source of lighting. A further 23% use lanterns, and 56% use tin lamps. Less than 1% use fuel wood. Electricity use is mostly common in male headed households at 21% as compared with female headed households at 14%.

Kisumu Central constituency has the highest level of electricity use at 56%.That is 19 times Seme constituency, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Kisumu Central constituency is 38 percentage points above the county average. Market Milimani ward has the highest level of electricity use at 84%.That is 84 percentage points above Central Nyakach ward which has the lowest level of electricity use. Market Milimani ward is 66 percentage points above the county average.

In Kisumu County, 42% of residents have homes with cement floors, while 55% have earth floors. Less than 1% has wood and 2% have tile floors. Kisumu Central constituency has the highest share of cement floors at 81%.That is 63 percentage points above Nyando constituency, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Kisumu Central constituency is 39 percentage points above the county average. Shauri Moyo/Kaloleni ward with the highest share of cement floors at 89%.That is 15 times the Ombeyi ward, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Shauri Moyo/Kaloleni ward is 47 percentage points above the county average.

In Kisumu County, 1% of residents have homes with concrete roofs, while 85% have corrugated iron roofs. Grass and makuti roofs constitute 9% of homes, and less than none have mud/dung roofs.

 Kisumu East constituency has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 95%.That is 21 percentage points above Seme constituency, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Kisumu East constituency is 10 percentage points above the county average. Two wards, Manyatta B and Kolwa Central, have the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 97% each. That is 53 percentage points above Market Milimani ward, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Manyatta B and Kolwa Central are 12 percentage points above the county average.

Seme constituency has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 25%.That is 25 percentage points above Kisumu Central constituency, which has the lowest share of grass/makuti roofs. Seme constituency is 16 percentage points above the county average. North Seme ward has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 27%. This is 27 percentage points above Migosi ward, which has no share of grass/makuti roofs. North Seme ward is 18 percentage points above the county average

In Kisumu County, 24% of homes have either brick or stone walls. 71% of homes have mud/wood or mud/cement walls. Less than 1% has wood walls. 3% have corrugated iron walls. Less than 1% has grass/thatched walls. 1% have tin or other walls.

Kisumu Central constituency has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 56%.This is almost six times Seme constituency, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Kisumu Central constituency has 32 percentage points above the county average. Market Milimani ward has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 89%.That is 22 times Ombeyi ward, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Market Milimani is 65 percentage points above the county average.

Seme constituency has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 90%.That is twice Kisumu Central constituency, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement. Seme constituency is 19 percentage points above the county average. Two wards, East Kano/Wawidhi and Ombeyi, have the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 95% each. That is 24 times Market Milimani ward, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement walls. East Kano/Wawidhi and Ombeyi are 24 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 Kisumu County, 54% of residents use improved sources of water, with the rest relying on unimproved sources. Use of improved sources is mostly common in male headed households at 55% as compared with female headed households at 50%.

Kisumu Central constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 72%.That is twice Seme constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Kisumu Central constituency is 18 percentage points above the county average. Nyalenda A ward has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 88%.That is almost four times South West Nyakach ward, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Nyalenda A ward is 35 percentage points above the county average.

A total of 57% of residents in Kisumu County use improved sanitation, while the rest use unimproved sanitation. Use of improved sanitation is slightly higher in male headed households at 58% as compared with female headed households at 54%.

Kisumu Central constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 77%.That is twice Seme constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Kisumu Central constituency is 20 percentage points above the county average. Market Milimani ward has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 97%.That is almost six times Ombeyi ward, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Market Milimani ward is 40 percentage points above the county average.