A study by National Irish Bank has found that foreigners have been more adversely affected by the Irish recession than any other social group.

The study found that foreigners had experienced a net decrease in employment of 30% over the previous two years.

The employment of non-nationals in several crucial sectors was way down: the figure fell by 23% in the hospitality sector, while in just about every sector the loss of jobs by non-Irish had been worse than the Irish job cuts.

Ireland had seen a huge influx of Polish and Eastern European workers during the so-called Celtic Tiger years, though there has been a noted return of these immigrants to their home countries once Ireland’s economy started to plummet.

Despite all the bad news, though, GDP is set to grow by 0.75% in 2010 and by 3.5% in 2011, as Ireland slowly lifts its head out of a long Celtic Tiger hangover.