The following dashboards explore the distribution of the Kenyan population by employment status, gender and location. The data can be analysed as the number of population meeting the given criteria or the % of the population meeting the criteria.
The data comes from the Volume IV of the Kenya Population and Housing Census 2019. The data is aggregated at the household level and the base population are those aged 5 years and older.
The original report can be viewed and downloaded here in PDF format. The data tables extracted for this analysis can be found viewed and downloaded here.
Unfortunately, the report does not make clear if the data refers to all employment or only formal sector employment, the definition of 'working' was also not available in the report. We are working to clarify these issues so check back soon for updates.
Summary Stats
Nationally, 48% of the population, aged 5 or over, report their employment status as 'working'.
The County with the highest % of the population 'working' is Kirinyaga at 60%
The County with the lowest % of the population 'working' is Garissa at 35%, however in Garissa Sub County NOT County only 20% of the population reported to be 'working'.
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Working Population By Gender
The national figures for the % of women and men who report to be 'working' are almost identical 47% and 48% respectively. However, in some areas gender matters more than others.
Whilst in many Counties the % of working women is very close to the % of working men in others there is a wider variance Mombasa has the highest variance with 48% of the male population, aged 5 or over, 'working' but only 33% of the female population. Nairobi has the second largest variance with 55% of the male population, aged 5 or over, 'working' but only 41% of the female population.
Several Counties have higher a % of the female population, aged 5 or over, than the male population. These include: Makeuni, Kitui, Vihiga, Siaya, Kakamega, Bomet, Busia, Homa Bay, Migori
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We Can't Assume Homogeneity Within Counties
Whilst the % of the working population varies widely between Counties, Kiringaya 60% and Garissa 35% the variance of Sub Counties within a County is generally much lower. The exception to this are:
Garissa - Sub County with highest % of working population Hulugho 56% and the lowest Garissa 20%
Turkana - Sub County with highest % of working population Kibish 68% and the lowest Turkana West 28%
Mandera - Sub County with highest % of working population Lafey 56% and the lowest Mandera North 29%
These wide variances show the importance of disaggregating and targeting responses at a level lower than the County.