The state yesterday reported that the November unemployment rate rose to 5.8 percent and, more significantly, that the job count fell - yet again.

Going into 1996, economists predicted this would be the first year in which Hawaii's job count stabilized after three years of declines. Some even expected slight growth.

But November - and the year, for that matter - has proved to be a big disappointment. The nonagricultural wage and salary job count last month fell to 526,300, a 1.6 percent decline from 1995.

And with only one month of data left, 1996 looks to be another downer for Hawaii's labor force.

The job count through 11 months has averaged 526,300, a 1.2 percent drop from the 532,700 the state averaged for all of 1995, according to Department of Labor and Industrial Relations statistics.

"This tells you that the (economic) recovery, where it has occurred, has really been insufficient to stem the job loss," said Bank of Hawaii chief economist Paul Brewbaker. "Firms just haven't begun hiring again."

Hawaii is continuing to lose jobs even though tourism, the state's No. 1 industry, is having a near-banner year and spending in construction, another critical sector, has stabilized.

"At this stage, we should be seeing that number (of job losses) shrinking," Brewbaker said.

But companies aren't feeling confident enough about the future to start hiring, Brewbaker said.

Though the statewide unemployment rate rose only slightly from October's 5.5 percent, the November number when adjusted for seasonal factors probably is worse, Brewbaker said.

Ordinarily, retailers' holiday hiring pushes the state's jobless rate down the last three months of the year. But preliminary numbers suggest less seasonal hiring this year than usual, he said.

Retail employment last month increased by 1,800, according to the state. Government added 3,100 to the payroll, mostly school hiring.

But construction jobs dropped by 2,400, mainly due to rainy weather.

Hawaii's jobless rate in November 1995 was 5.6 percent.