Reported discrimination against foreign nationals seeking work in Ireland fell during the recession, new research has found.

On the surface, the finding runs counter to the traditional theory that discrimination increases during times of economic hardship. However, the study by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) paints a more complex picture.

It found that between 2004 and 2010, when the State experienced boom and recession, foreign nationals reported higher rates of discrimination looking for work and in the workplace than Irish nationals.

“Black Africans” and EU nationals of minority ethnicity were most likely to report experience of discrimination when looking for a job.

Immigrant population

Nonetheless, the study, which was based on data from the

Central Statistics Office

, did not find that discrimination increased significantly with the onset of recession and in the context of a growing immigrant population.

In looking for work, the gap in reported discrimination between foreign nationals and “White Irish” fell between 2004 and 2010.

In the workplace, the gap between foreign nationals and “White Irish” remained relatively stable.

The ESRI's Discrimination in the Labour Market: Nationality, Ethnicity and the Recession study posits the notion that in 2004 Ireland was relatively new to immigration but by 2010 employers would have been more used to hiring foreign workers.

However, the report noted that while discrimination fell for some, it was not the experience of all groups. Visibly different ethnic groups, in particular “Black African” and “Non-White EU” groups, reported “very high rates of discrimination” when looking for work, and their experience did not decrease during the period under examination.