There was a growth of 2.2 per cent in payroll jobs in Tasmania in the last half of January, Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows.
However, total wages dropped by the same percentage between mid-March and the end of January.
Nationwide, payroll jobs went up by 1.3 per cent in the last two weeks of January.
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Total wages were down 3.4 per cent between March and January.
Premier Peter Gutwein said Tasmania had the highest growth rate in jobs in the nation for the last fortnight of January.
In the government's Revised Estimates Report released on Monday, Treasury said Tasmania's labour market had recovered more quickly than expected.
It estimated employment would increase by 0.5 per cent in 2020-21, by 1 per cent in 2021-22, and by 0.5 per cent by 2021-22.
Nationally, employment is forecast to grow by 4 per cent in 2020-21 and by 1.75 per cent in 2021-22.
Treasury said it anticipated employment would be somewhat affected by the expiry of the JobKeeper Payment program
"The improvement in the labour force has also led to an increase in Tasmania's unemployment rate in recent months," it said.
"In October 2020, the unemployment rate peaked at 8.2 per cent, before declining to 7.0 per cent in December 2020. It is expected that the unemployment rate will remain above pre-pandemic levels in 2020-21."
The state's unemployment rate is estimated to be 7 per cent on average in 2020-21, after which it is estimated to drop to 6.75 per cent in 2021-22.
Political reporter for Australian Community Media, based in Hobart.
Political reporter for Australian Community Media, based in Hobart.
