Retail jobs in the Republic of Ireland are being placed at risk by the ongoing rise in cross-border shopping trips to north, it has been claimed.

According to a new report issued by the industry body Retail Ireland, for every 150 cross-border shopping trips carried out by consumers from the Republic, one more retail job is lost south of the border.

And, given that shoppers continue to be attracted to Northern Ireland's shops due to lower prices, with the cost of alcohol in particular considerably lower due largely to tax rates, the report has warned consumers about the risks of such habits over the coming weeks and months.

"If cross-border shopping continues at this rate during December, similar numbers of jobs will be lost, with particular devastation in border counties Cavan, Donegal, Louth and Monaghan," Retail Ireland director Torlach Denihan stated.

He added that as many as 30,000 Irish jobs have already been lost within the retail sector over the past 12 months alone as businesses struggle to compete with the lower prices on offer over the border.

This comes soon after software company Bentley Systems announced plans to create 150 jobs in Dublin.