The number of total job vacancies in Ireland rose by 3% in the fourth quarter of 2017, according to data from Irishjobs.ie.

The hotel and catering sector saw the biggest share of job vacancies in the fourth quarter, comprising 24% of all job vacancies.

Meanwhile, vacancies in the IT sector saw an increase of 9% over the year and construction vacancies saw an increase of 8% when compared to the previous year.

"Job creation is of course a positive thing, but a high rate of vacancies combined with a low supply of skilled workers will become a problem if not addressed quickly,” Orla Moran, general manager of Irishjobs.ie, said. “This may become especially challenging in rapidly growing regions, like Limerick and Cork, where new investment in certain sectors, like tech and engineering, could outpace the availability of an appropriately qualified workforce."