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 27.3 up to ward level.

Table 27: Overall Employment by education Levels in Migori County 

In Migori County, 9% of the residents with no formal education, 9% of those with a primary education and 22% 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 Migori 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. Migori County’s Gini index is 0.464 compared with Turkana County, which has the least inequality nationally (0.283).

Only 1% of residents in Migori County use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and 2% use paraffin. 80% use firewood and 17% use charcoal. Firewood is the most common cooking fuel by gender with 85% of female headed households and 77% of male headed households using it.

 Uriri constituency has the highest level of firewood use in Migori County at 93%.This is 23 percentage points above Suna West constituency, which has the lowest share at 70%. Uriri constituency is about percentage points above the county average. West Kanyamkago ward has the highest level of firewood use in Migori County at 98%.This is five times Isibania ward, which has the lowest share. West Kanyamkago ward is 18 percentage points above the county average.

 Suna West constituency has the highest level of charcoal use in Migori County at 26%.This is 20 percentage points above Uriri constituency, which has the lowest share. Suna West constituency is 9 percentage points above the county average. Isibania ward has the highest level of charcoal use in Migori County at 71%.This is 69 percentage points more than Kaler ward, which has the lowest share. Isibania ward is 54 percentage points above the county average.

Only 5% of residents in Migori County use electricity as their main source of lighting. A further 26% use lanterns, and 66% use tin lamps. 1% use fuel wood. Electricity use is mostly common in male headed households at 6% as compared with female headed households at 4%.

 Awendo constituency has the highest level of electricity use at 11%.That is 11 percentage points above Kuria East constituency, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Awendo constituency is 6 percentage points above the county average. Isibania ward has the highest level of electricity use at 26%.That is 26 percentage points above Ntimaru East ward, which has no level of electricity use. Isibania ward is 21 percentage points above the county average.

In Migori County, 27% of residents have homes with cement floors, while 72% have earth floors. Less than 1% has tile and 1% has wood floors. Awendo constituency has the highest share of cement floors at 36%.That is almost five times above Kuria East constituency, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Awendo constituency is 9 percentage points above the county average. Isibania ward has the highest share of cement floors at 72%.That is 10 times Ntimaru East ward, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Isibania ward is 45 percentage points above the county average.

In Migori County, less than 1% of residents have homes with concrete roofs, while 76% have corrugated iron sheet roofs. Grass and makuti roofs constitute 21% of homes, and none have mud/dung roofs.

 Awendo constituency has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 91%.That is 39 percentage points above Kuria East constituency has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Awendo constituency is 15 percentage points above the county average. Central Kamagambo ward has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 96%.That is almost thrice Wasimbete ward, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Central Kamagambo ward is 20 percentage points above the county average.

 Kuria East constituency has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 44%.That is almost nine times Awendo constituency, which has the lowest share of grass/makuti roofs. Kuria East constituency is 23 percentage points above the county average. Tagare ward has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 31%. This is 30 percentage points above Central Sakwa ward, which has the lowest share at 10 percentage points above the county average.

In Migori County, 18% of homes have either brick or stone walls. 80% of homes have mud/wood or mud/cement walls. Less than 1% has wood walls. 2% have corrugated iron walls. Less than 1% has grass/thatched walls. Less than 1% has tin or other walls.

Suna East constituency, which has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 24%. That is almost five times Kuria East constituency, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Suna East constituency is 6 percentage points above the county average. Isibania ward has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 57%.That is 55 percentage points above Ntimaru East ward, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Isibania ward is 39 percentage points above the county average.

 Kuria East constituency has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 95%.That is 22 percentage points above Awendo constituency, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement. Kuria East constituency is 15 percentage points above the county average. Ntimaru East ward has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 98%.That is 59 percentage points above Isibania ward, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement walls. Ntimaru East ward is 18 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 Migori County, 28% 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 male headed households at 29% and female headed households at 26%.

 Rongo and Awendo constituencies have the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 35%.That is three times Nyatike constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Awendo constituency is 7 percentage points above the county average. Isibania ward has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 75% each. That is 74 percentage points above Muhuru ward, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Isibania and Central Kamagambo wards are 47 percentage points above the county average.

A total of 52% of residents in Migori County use improved sanitation, while the rest use unimproved sanitation. Use of improved sanitation is slightly higher in male headed households at 54% as compared with female headed households at 48%.

Rongo constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 68%.That is almost three times Nyatike constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Rongo constituency is 16 percentage points above the county average. Central Kamagambo ward with the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 85%.That is six times Wiga ward, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Central Kamagambo ward is 33 percentage points above the county average.