Wages increased by 2.3 per cent in the year to September, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics' wage price index.

Hobart inflation - the best available measure for Tasmania - was 2.4 per cent in the same period.

Wages growth for Tasmanian public sector workers was particularly weak, mostly due to a protracted pay dispute with the state government.

Their wage price index increased by just 1.4 per cent for the year to September, a full percentage point below inflation.

One positive for them was a 0.9 per cent increase in their wage price index in the September quarter alone as wage rises started to flow.

Tasmanian private sector workers actually beat inflation, with an annual increase of 2.7 per cent.

That was level with the ACT as the nation's highest private sector wages growth.

The annual 2.3 per cent increase in the index for Tasmanian private and public sector workers combined was higher than wages growth in four other states.

The index measures changes in payments for the same work, and is different to average wages.

Tasmania's full-time average weekly ordinary time earnings increased by 3 per cent to $1419.80 in the year to May in trend terms.

State retail turnover increased by 2.2 per cent in the year to September in trend terms, and a strong 0.4 per cent increase in September.

The ABS estimated turnover had resumed growing in recent months after a flat period.

Nationally, the wage price index slowed to 2.2 per cent annual growth, seasonally adjusted.

"No wonder so many Australians feel like no matter how hard they work they just can't get ahead," Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers said.