Hundreds of new jobs have been announced across the country this morning.
They range from film and tech jobs in the South East, to nationwide jobs with the expansion of grocery chain Centra.
Convenience store Centra was the first to announce today that they are looking for more staff.
A bumper year in 2016, with profits of more than €1.5bn, has prompted them to expand.
Centra plans to open 20 more stores in the next 12 months and need 460 workers to staff them.
Waterford is next for good news with a €12.7m investment from North Carolina-based tech firm Red Hat. The company provides open source IT solutions and wants to hire 60 people in the area over the next four years.
Finally Kilkenny-based Cartoon Saloon is creating 140 new jobs.
It is joining forces with Canada's Mercury Filmworks,to create a 2D- animation studio at the Lighthouse Studios.
In the coming weeks, Lighthouse Studios plans to announce development and production projects, as well as a hiring initiative encompassing production management, designers, animators, effects artists, compositors, technical directors, 3D modelers, riggers, lighting and texture artists and IT administrators.
Cartoon Saloon's CEO Paul Young said: “All of us at Cartoon Saloon are delighted to be in partnership with Mercury, as we have long admired their work. And now, together, we plan to make Lighthouse Studios and Kilkenny a center of excellence for animation. ”
Over its 19-year history Mercury has helped bring to life modern animated television and film properties including Disney’s Tangled animated series and multi- award winning series Mickey Mouse Shorts, Lion Guard, Wander Over Yonder, Star and the Forces of Evil, Jake & the Never Land Pirates, Fish Hooks, Toot & Puddle, Gerald McBoing Boing, Atomic Puppet and the upcoming NETFLIX original series HILDA, based on the Eisner-Award nominated graphic novels by Luke Pearson.