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 45.3 up to ward level.

 Table 45: Overall Employment by Education levels in Vihiga County

In Vihiga County, 18% of the residents with no formal education 16% of those with a primary level of education and 22% of those with 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 Vihiga 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. Vihiga County’s Gini index is 0.399 compared with Turkana County, which has the least inequality nationally (0.283).

Less than 1% of residents in Vihiga County use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and 2% use paraffin. 91% use firewood and 6% use charcoal. Firewood is the most common cooking fuel by either gender at 90% in male headed households and 92% in female headed households.

Emuhaya constituency has the highest level of firewood use in Vihiga County at 96%.This is 9 percentage points above Vihiga constituency, which has the lowest share. Emuhaya constituency is about 5 percentage points above the county average. South Maragoli ward has the highest level of firewood use in Vihiga County at 98%.This is 24 percentage points above Luanda Township ward. South Maragoli ward is 7 percentage points above the county average.

Vihiga constituency has the highest level of charcoal use in Vihiga County at 8%.This is four times Emuhaya constituency, which has the lowest share. Vihiga constituency is 2 percentage points above the county average. Luanda Township ward has the highest level of charcoal use in Vihiga County at 17%.This is 16 percentage points more than South Maragoli ward, which has the lowest share. Luanda Township ward is 11 percentage points above the county average.

Only 7% of residents in Vihiga County use electricity as their main source of lighting. A further 28% use lanterns, and 62% use tin lamps. 1% use fuel wood. Electricity use is slightly more common in male headed households at 8% as compared with female headed households at 6%.

 Sabatia constituency has the highest level of electricity use at 10%.That is 7 percentage points above Emuhaya constituency, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Sabatia constituency is 3 percentage points above the county average. Central Maragoli ward has the highest level of electricity use at 15%.That is 15 percentage points above South Maragoli ward, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Central Maragoli ward is 8 percentage points above the county average.

In Vihiga County, 20% of residents have homes with cement floors, while 79% have earth floors. Less than 1% has wood or tile floors. Vihiga constituency has the highest share of cement floors at 23%.That is 10 percentage points above Emuhaya constituency, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Vihiga constituency is 3 percentage points above the county average. Luanda Township ward has the highest share of cement floors at 38%.That is three times Central Bunyore ward, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Luanda Township ward is 18 percentage points above the county average.

In Vihiga County, less than 1% of residents have homes with concrete roofs, while 92% have corrugated iron sheet roofs. Grass and makuti roofs constitute 4% of homes, and none have mud/dung roofs.

 Luanda constituency has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 94%.That is 3 percentage points above Vihiga constituency, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Luanda constituency is 2 percentage points above the county average. Emabungo ward has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 97%. That is 10 percentage points above North Maragoli ward, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Emabungo ward is 5 percentage points above the county average.

Four constituencies, Emuhaya, Hamisi, Luanda and Vihiga, have the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 4% each. That is 1 percentage points above Sabatia constituency, which has the lowest share of grass/makuti roofs. Emuhaya, Hamisi, Luanda and Vihiga constituencies are at the same level as the county average. Three wards, South Maragoli, Mwibona and Luanda South, have the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 7% each. This is 6 percentage points above Luanda Township and Emabungo wards, which have the lowest share. South Maragoli, Mwibona and Luanda South are 3 percentage points above the county average.

In Vihiga County, 16% of homes have either brick or stone walls. 84% of homes have mud/wood or mud/cement walls. Less than 1% has wood walls. Less than 1% has corrugated iron walls. None have grass/thatched walls. Less than 1% has tin or other walls.

 Vihiga constituency has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 19%.That is 9 percentage points above Emuhaya constituency, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Vihiga constituency is 3 percentage points above the county average. Luanda Township ward has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 33%.That is four times South Maragoli ward, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Luanda Township ward is 17 percentage points above the county average.

 Emuhaya constituency has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 90%.That is 10 percentage points above Vihiga constituency, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement. Emuhaya constituency is 6 percentage points above the county average. North East Bunyore ward has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 91%.That is 24 percentage points above Luanda Township ward, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement walls. North East Bunyore ward is 7 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 Vihiga County, 63% 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 63% of male headed households and 64% in female headed households using it.

 Sabatia constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 84%.That is almost twice Hamisi constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Sabatia constituency is 21 percentage points above the county average. Two wards, Wodanga and Chavakali, have the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 95% each. That is thrice Banja ward, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Wodanga and Chavakali are 32 percentage points above the county average.

A total of 87% of residents in Vihiga County use improved sanitation, while the rest use unimproved sanitation. Use of improved sanitation is equal by either gender with 87% for both male and female headed households by either gender.

 Sabatia constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 92%.That is 15 percentage points above Emuhaya constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Sabatia constituency is 5 percentage points above the county average. Chavakali ward has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 96%.That is 24 percentage points above North East Bunyore ward, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Chavakali ward is 9 percentage points above the county average.