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 26.3 up to ward level.

Table 26: Overall Employment by education Levels in Meru County

In Meru County, 15% of the residents with no formal education, 18% of those with a primary education and 27% 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 almost twice the level in Meru 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. Meru County’s Gini index is 0.348 compared with Turkana County, which has the least inequality nationally (0.283).

Only 2% of residents in Meru County use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and 3% use paraffin. 82% use firewood and 13% use charcoal. Firewood is the most common cooking fuel by gender with 83% of male headed households and 80% in female headed households use it.

Tigania West constituency has the highest level of firewood use in Meru County at 34%.This is 34 percentage points above North Imenti constituency, which has the lowest share at 60%. Tigania West constituency is about 12 percentage points above the county average. Two wards, Kiagu and Thangatha, have the highest level of firewood use in Meru County at 97% each. This is five times Municipality ward, which has the lowest share at 19%. Kiagu and Thangatha are 15 percentage points above the county average.

North Imenti constituency has the highest level of charcoal use in Meru County at 24%.This is six times Tigania West constituency, which has the lowest share at 4%. North Imenti is about 11 percentage points above the county average. Ntima East ward has the highest level of charcoal use in Meru County at 47%.This is 24 times Kiagu ward, which has the lowest share at 2%. Ntima East is 34 percentage points above the county average.

Only 14% of residents in Meru County use electricity as their main source of lighting. A further 28% use lanterns, and 49% use tin lamps. 2% use fuel wood. Electricity use is insignificantly higher in female headed households at 14% as compared with male headed households at 13%.

 North Imenti constituency has the highest level of electricity use at 39%.That is almost 10 times above Tigania East and Tigania West constituencies that have the lowest level of electricity use. North Imenti constituency is 25 percentage points above the county average. Municipality ward has the highest level of electricity use at 79%.That is 78 percentage points above Thangatha ward, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Municipality ward is 65 percentage points above the county average.

In Meru County, 38% of residents have homes with cement floors, while 60% have earth floors. 2% have wood and just 1% has tile floors. North Imenti constituency has the highest share of cement floors at 63%.That is three times Tigania East and Tigania West constituencies, which have the lowest share of cement floors. North Imenti constituency at 25 percentage points above the county average. Municipality ward has the highest share of cement floors at 87%.That is almost 11 times Athwana ward, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Municipality ward 49 percentage points above the county average.

In Meru County, less than 1% of residents have homes with concrete roofs, while 93% have corrugated iron roofs. Grass and makuti roofs constitute 2% of homes, and less than 1% has mud/dung roofs.

 Central Imenti constituency has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 97%.That is 8 percentage points above Tigania East constituency that has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Central Imenti constituency is 4 percentage points above the county average. Two wards, Abothuguchi Central and Abogeta West, have the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 99% each. That is 15 percentage points above Antubetwe Kiongo ward, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Abothuguchi Central and Abogeta West are 6 percentage points above the county average.

 Tigania East constituency has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 7%.That is 7 percentage points above North Imenti constituency, which has the lowest share of grass/makuti roofs. Tigania East is 5 percentage points above the county average. Thangatha ward has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 10%. This is 9 percentage points above Ntima West ward, which has the lowest share. Thangatha ward is 8 percentage points above the county average.

In Meru County, 16% of homes have either brick or stone walls. 20% of homes have mud/wood or mud/cement walls. 63% have wood walls. Less than 1% has corrugated iron walls. 1% has grass/thatched walls. 1% has tin or other walls.

 North Imenti constituency has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 32%.That is four times Igembe Central constituency, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. North Imenti constituency is 16 percentage points above the county average. Municipality ward has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 53%.That is 18 times Akachiu ward, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Municipality ward is 37 percentage points above the county average.

 Tigania East constituency has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 35%.That is five times North Imenti constituency, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement. Tigania East constituency is 15 percentage points above the county average. Athwana ward has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 57%.That is 19 times Abothuguchi West ward, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement walls Athwana ward is 37 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 Meru County, 59% of residents use improved sources of water, with the rest relying on unimproved sources. There is no gender differential in use of improved sources between both male and female headed households at 59% each.

South Imenti constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 82%.That is almost twice Tigania East constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. South Imenti constituency is 23 percentage points above the county average. Abothuguchi ward has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 98%.That is almost 10 times Antubetwe Kiongo ward, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Abothuguchi West ward is 39 percentage points above the county average.

A total of 78% of residents in Meru County use improved sanitation, while the rest use unimproved sanitation. Use of improved sanitation is slightly higher in male headed households at 79% compared with female headed households at 77%.

 North Imenti constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 92%.That is 35 percentage points above South Imenti constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. North Imenti constituency is 14 percentage points above the county average. Abothuguchi West ward has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 99%.That is three times Igoji West ward, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Abothuguchi West is 21 percentage points above the county average.