Employed Tasmanians decreased by 600 in August to 262,200, while the unemployment rate surged from 4.6 per cent to a nation's highest 5.5 per cent, according to seasonally adjusted Australian Bureau of Statistics figures.

The estimates showed vastly different trends for men and women.

Employed males were estimated to have increased by 2200 to a record 139,300.

The data series stretches back to 1978.

Overall employment fell because of the carnage hitting working women.

Female employment tumbled by 2900 to 122,800.

Full-time employment fell by 2000 to 161,400.

Full-time male employment grew by 800, but 2800 fewer women were in full-time work.

The number of Tasmanians estimated to be technically unemployed shot up by 2600.

The employment fall ended three consecutive months of growth.

Total employment plunged as low as 239,900 in May last year, in the depths of the coronavirus crash, before recovering strongly.

"There are now 15,300 Tasmanians with no work, but actively looking for a job, up 2600 in a month as our state suffers from border closures and a lack of jobs support from the Morrison Liberal government," federal Labor's Shadow Assistant Minister for Tasmania, Carol Brown, said.

"There are now 38,600 Tasmanians who can't get any or enough work to make ends meet.

"This is particularly concerning given Tasmania continues to significantly lag the nation when it comes to workforce participation, suggesting the true extent of the jobs crisis in Tasmania is masked by people giving up the search for work entirely."

National employment dropped by 146,000 people in August, the ABS estimated.

Employment in pandemic-plagued New South Wales fell by 173,000, with total hours worked down by 6.5 per cent.

The nation's biggest state's total employment had fallen by 210,000 since the start of lockdown in late June.