Retail jobs fell by 2600 (9.1 per cent) in the five years to November 2018, according to federal figures.

Overall sales boomed in recent years, although the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimated they had started to decline in recent months in trend terms.

Tasmania's biggest employment sector - healthcare and social assistance - went the other way during the five years.

It added 7400 jobs (23.5 per cent), taking its total employment to 38,900.

Retail remained the second biggest employer, with 26,000 employees.

Third was education and training, which had 21,900 workers and had added 2000 in the five-year period.

Construction was the fourth biggest employment sector.

It had 20,900 employees last November.

That was a five-year increase of 3400.

Accommodation and food services came in fifth, having added 1100 jobs to take its total to 20,100.

The Jobs and Small Business Department's Australian Jobs 2019 publication said Tasmania had fewer employees than any other state.

"It is also the most regionally diverse, with 55 per cent of jobs located outside of Hobart," it said.

The department projected state employment would grow by 4.5 per cent in the five years to May 2023, behind a projected national growth rate of 7.1 per cent.

Employment was projected to increase by:

The department said Tasmania had the oldest workforce of any state or territory, with 46 per cent of its workers aged 45 or older.

It said part-time work was also relatively common.

It accounted for 37 per cent of total Tasmanian employment, which was the biggest share in Australia.

The department projected employment would rise nationally in 17 of 19 industries in the five years to May 2023.

About two thirds of the new jobs were expected to be created in four industries.

They were: