Indiana’s unemployment rate rose again in July, the second consecutive month the rate worsened.

The Indiana unemployment rate climbed 0.2 percent over the last two months. It now stands at 3.4 percent, its highest point this year. And July marks the first time in about seven years the rate got worse in two consecutive months.

Yet the private sector added 5,600 jobs last month. Construction jobs surged, as did positions in the professional and business services sector.

And the state’s labor force increased for the sixth consecutive month – the best stretch in a year. The labor force is a measure that counts not just those who have a job, but also those who actively look for one. Growth in the labor force is typically seen as a sign people are optimistic about the economy.