December 4, 1982

Nearly 12 million people were out of work in November as the nation's unemployment rate shot up four-tenths of a percentage point to 10.8 percent, setting another postwar record, the Labor Department reported today. The rise in the rate from the 10.4 percent level in October was far sharper than many economists had expected. It was caused, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said, by the loss of 165,000 additional payroll jobs as well as by an increase of 375,000 in the number of new workers entering the labor force. In many months, even when the unemployment rate rises, the nation's industries add jobs to the work force, but there was no increase last month, the statistics bureau noted. More than 99,032,000 people were working in the week of Nov. 15 when bureau officials made their monthly household survey, virtually the same as in October.

At 12:01 this morning, New York State's minimum drinking age was raised from 18 - where it has been since Prohibition was repealed in 1933 - to 19, a change that poses a particular problem for college administrators. The new law, which makes it illegal to sell, give or deliver alcohol to people under 19, will affect about a quarter of the college population, and many schools have already adopted new rules and policies to keep the under-age students away from alcohol. Some schools are distributing new identification cards punched with holes to indicate whether a student is 19. A few are barring those under 19 from events where alcohol is served, or barring alcohol from certain events. And many have instituted rules that govern even private on-campus parties.

New York's major cultural institutions have started to apply new strategies to deal with growing financial strains in a worsening economy. All are struggling with rising costs at the same time that they face government cutbacks of funds and the recession's toll on individual, foundation and corporate donations. For example: - The Paul Taylor Dance Company has hired a full-time professional fund-raiser for the first time in its 28-year history. - The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is raising its admission price and charging fees for symposiums and lectures it used to present free. - The Metropolitan Opera is experimenting with fund-raising radio marathons to reach potential new donors.

President Reagan encountered sharp public criticism of his Administration's policies today from Colombia's President and jeers from crowds on the street after flying to that country from Brazil for a five-hour visit. Later, after flying here from Bogota, Mr. Reagan met this evening with President Alvaro Magana of El Salvador and declared he was prepared to certify that El Salvador had made sufficient progress on human rights to warrant renewal of its military aid. Mr. Reagan's statement about El Salvador was a surprise, because Administration officials had said he would not determine the country's human rights status until after he returned home from his Latin American trip. Congress has required the Administration to certify progress on human rights if military aid is to be renewed in January. Comment by Reagan At the meeting with Mr. Magana, Mr. Reagan was asked if he would certify such progress. ''On the basis of everything we know now, yes, of course,'' he replied.

Dr. Barney B. Clark's new artificial heart has beaten about 200,000 times since it was implanted and his doctors said today that it had dramatically improved his condition. One favorable sign indicating that Dr. Clark was on the way to recovery was that his doctors disconnected him from an artificial respirator that took over his breathing after surgery. Dr. Clark, like many other patients who have a breathing tube in their windpipe, had indicated to his nurses and visitors that it was uncomfortable and that he wanted it removed as soon as possible. The doctors removed it today because tests called blood gases were ''right on the mark,'' said Dr. Chase N. Peterson, vice president for health affairs at the University of Utah. Wife Is Visiting Him The tube in his windpipe connected him to the respirator, and once it was removed, he was free to talk with his wife, Unaloy, who was visiting him. He said he wanted some water, was given some and said, ''That's good.''