1-in-5 unemployed people in the country last year were non-Irish nationals.

That is according to new 2011 Census figures released today by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

Nigerians had the highest unemployment rate amongst non-nationals at 39% while nationals from the Nordic countries had the lowest rates.

The research shows that the largest growth in employment was seen in primary education where the numbers of those at work rose by over 18,000.

Also bucking the trend was the farming sector which saw a 10% rise in the number of people employed there.

Social work, computing and the retail sector also all saw increases over the 5-year period.

Not surprisingly the largest declining industry was construction and civil engineering where numbers at work fell by over 73,000.

Meanwhile over 82,000 young people were out of work in April  last year.

That is up from just over 47,000 back in 2006.

The figures also show an increase of 16% in the number of first-time jobseekers and that 1-in-5 unemployed people in April 2011 were non-Irish nationals.

Hear a report from Newstalk’s Jack Quann below.