There are signs the employment market may be responding to lower interest rates with the first lift in internet job advertisements in seven months but the promised boost from the Morrison government's income tax cuts has yet to materialise across the nation's shopping malls.

The Employment Department's measure of internet vacancies rose in July with more than 172,000 jobs advertised nationally. The July increase followed six consecutive months of declines.

Total jobs climbed for the first time in seven months but the retail sector continues to struggle. Credit:Michele Mossop

Ads across six of the eight occupational groups tracked by the department rose last month with the biggest lift for labourers and community and personal service workers. Ads for managers and sales workers both fell by 0.4 per cent.

States outside of Victoria and NSW have struggled to slice unemployment levels over the past year but the figures showed increases of more than one per cent in Tasmania, South Australia, WA, the ACT and Northern Territory.