The job numbers for November are out, and overall they’re good news for the Keystone State.

The state job numbers will play a major role in the 2014 campaign and so this is an ongoing PoliticsPA feature.

Here’s the breakdown.

The good news:

Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate fell to 7.3%, down from 7.5% in the previous month and its lowest rate since February of 2009.

Total nonfarm jobs were up by 9,700 in November to 5,771,500. Last month marked the third consecutive monthly decline in the rate and the eighth decline in the past twelve months.

“Pennsylvania’s unemployment is the lowest it has been since before the recession, and more than 149,000 private sector jobs have been created since Governor Corbett took office in 2011,” Governor Corbett’s campaign manager, Mike Barley said. “While the growth is encouraging, Governor Corbett understands there is still work left to do.”

The sectors that grew the most during the past month were Leisure and Hospitality; and Professional & Business services.

The mediocre news:

Pennsylvania remained even at 46th in job creation, the same as October.

“Tom Corbett’s job creation record as Governor has been abysmal. Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate is well above the national average at 7.3% and our overall job growth has dropped from 7th in the nation to 45th*,” blasted Pa. Democratic Party Chairman Jim Burn.

*Pa. Democrats’ job growth claims are based on a ranking of job growth derived from the same month, previous year data set. Economists prefer the 12 month moving average, which forms the basis for PoliticsPA’s ranking claims.

The bad news:

Although job growth rank is by no means a perfect economic indicator, 46th in job creation is nothing to brag about.

Pa. unemployment remains above the national rate (7.0% in November).

Some sectors of the Pa. economy took sizable hits in November. Employment in mining and logging, information and government all decreased between 1 to 2%.

The state lost 7,000 public sector jobs compared to this time last year