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 21.3 up to ward level.

  Table 21: Overall Employment by education Levels in Lamu County

In Lamu County, 17% of the residents with no formal education, 18% of those with a primary education and 33% 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 16 percentage points above the level in Lamu for those with 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. Lamu County’s Gini index is 0.471, compared with Turkana County which has the least inequality nationally (0.283).

Just 1% of residents in Lamu County use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and 3% use paraffin. 71% use firewood and 23% use charcoal. Firewood is the most common cooking fuel by gender with no significant differential with 71% of male headed households and 72% of female headed households using it.

 Lamu East constituency has the highest level of firewood use in Lamu County at 90%.This is 23 percentage points above Lamu West constituency, which has the lowest share at 67%. Lamu East constituency is about 19 percentage points above the county average. Basuba ward has the highest level of firewood use in Lamu County at 100%.This is three times Mkomani ward, which has the lowest share at 30%. Basuba ward is 29 percentage points above the county average.

 Lamu West constituency has the highest level of charcoal use in Lamu County is at 26%.This is four times Lamu East constituency, which has the lowest share at 6%. Lamu West constituency is 3 percentage points above the county average. Mkomani ward has the highest level of charcoal use in Lamu County at 56%.This is 55 percentage points more than Basuba ward, which has the lowest share. Mkomani ward is 33 percentage points above the county average.

Only 17% of residents in Lamu County use electricity as their main source of lighting. A further 33% use lanterns, and 39% use tin lamps. 2% use fuel wood. Electricity use by gender has no significant variation with male headed households at 17% as compared with female at 16%.

 Lamu West constituency has the highest level of electricity use at 19%. This is 11% points above Lamu East Constituency that has the lowest share. Lamu West constituency is 2% points above the county average. Mkomani ward with has highest level of electricity use at 57%. This is 57 percentage points above Basuba ward that has no share of electricity use. Mkomani ward is 40% points above the county average.

In Lamu County, 37% of residents have homes with cement floors, while 62% have earth floors. Less than 1% has wood or tile floors. Lamu East constituency has the highest share of cement floors at 44%.That is 9 percentage points above Lamu West constituency, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Lamu East constituency is 7 percentage points above the county average. Mkomani ward has the highest share of cement floors at 79%.That is 77 percentage points above Basuba ward, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Mkomani ward is 42 percentage points above the county average.

In Lamu County, 11% of residents have homes with concrete roofs, while 32% have corrugated iron sheet roofs. Grass and makuti roofs constitute 50% of homes, and less than 1% has mud/dung roofs.

 Lamu West constituency has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 37%.That is five times Lamu East constituency, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Lamu West constituency is 5 percentage points above the county average. Bahari ward has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 74%.That is almost 72 percentage points above Basuba ward has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Bahari ward is 42 percentage points above the county average.

 Lamu East constituency has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 80%.That is 35 percentage points above Lamu West constituency, which has the lowest share of grass/makuti roofs. Lamu East constituency is 30 percentage points above the county average. Basuba ward has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 83%. This is six times Bahari ward with the lowest share. Basuba ward is 33 percentage points above the county average.

In Lamu County, 30% of homes have either brick or stone walls. 61% of homes have mud/wood or mud/cement walls. 1% has wood walls. Less than 1% has corrugated iron walls. 6% have grass/thatched walls. 2% have tin or other walls.

 Lamu East constituency has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 33%.That is 4 percentage points above Lamu West constituency, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Lamu East constituency is 3 percentage points above the county average. Mkomani ward has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 77%.That is 76 percentage points above Basuba ward, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Mkomani ward is 47 percentage points above the county average.

 Lamu West constituency has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 61%.That is 1% point above Lamu East constituency with the lowest share of mud with wood/cement. Lamu West constituency is similar to the county average. Hongwe ward has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 86%.That is seven times Mkomani ward, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement walls. Hongwe ward is 25 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 Lamu County, 53% of residents use improved sources of water, with the rest relying on unimproved sources. There is no significant gender differential in use of improved sources with 53% of male headed households and 54% in female headed households.

Lamu West constituency with has highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 61%. That is three times Lamu East constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Lamu West constituency is 8 percentage points above the county average. Mkomani ward has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 81%.That is 76 percentage points above Kiunga ward, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Mkomani ward is 28 percentage points above the county average.

A total of 57% of residents in Lamu County use improved sanitation, while the rest use unimproved sanitation. Improved sanitation is higher in female headed households at 61% as compared with male headed households at 55%.

 Lamu East constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 72%.That is 19 percentage points above Lamu West constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Lamu East constituency is 15 percentage points above the county average. Faza ward has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 78%.This is almost 51 percentage points above Witu ward, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Faza ward is 21 percentage points above the county average.