Indiana’s unemployment rate ticked up last month for the first time in nearly a year.

The rate increased a 0.1 percent, up to 3.3 percent in June. That’s the first time it’s gone up since July last year.

The private sector also shed jobs last month – 2,500 lost positions, most coming from the private educational and health services sector.

But the state’s labor force grew, in a strong sign of optimism in the Hoosier economy. The labor force counts both people who have a job and those actively looking for one. It grew by nearly 15,000 people in June.

That’s five consecutive months of growth – the longest such stretch in about a year.