Hawaii residents are getting better at paying their mortgages and credit cards on time, and the trend is forecast to continue next year.

Improvements in employment, housing prices and consumer confidence will reduce mortgage and credit card delinquencies in Hawaii in 2012, according to a study released Wednesday by TransUnion, one of three major U.S. credit reporting agencies.

Hawaii’s credit card and mortgage delinquencies will also continue to be lower than the national average next year, TransUnion said. Nationally, 0.69 percent of credit card holders will fall more than 90 days behind on their payments by the end of next year, the study said, while in Hawaii that number will be 0.59 percent.

Average credit card debt in Hawaii has rapidly declined from a peak of $6,002 in mid-2009 to $4,851 in mid-2011, and is expected to continue its descent through next year.

"Hawaii continues to have substantially lower delinquency rates than the U.S. overall," said Charlie Wise, TransUnion’s director of research and consulting.

Hawaii’s 60-day mortgage delinquencies, a precursor to foreclosure, is projected to drop to 3.49 percent by the end of 2012 from 5.12 percent at the close of this year.

Hawaii’s 2012 outlook appears bright despite the jobless rate rising four months in a row to 6.5 percent in October, according to Trans­Union. State unemployment is still lower than the national rate, which stood at 8.6 percent in November. In addition, local housing prices are holding steady, unlike significant decreases seen on the mainland, Wise said.

A rosy forecast also is predicted for Hawaii’s tourism industry in 2012, according to the Hawaii Tourism Association, which hopes increased airlift and greater interest from niche and emerging markets will grow visitor spending to $13.3 billion and arrivals to a record 7.69 million.

"I keep looking at what’s really the source of our cash infusion in our economy, primarily it’s tourism and the military," said Honolulu bankruptcy trustee David Farmer. "On both fronts the numbers are looking good."

Midyear shocks that precipitated concerns about consumer delinquencies rising, included the European debt crisis, fears of a double-dip recession and low consumer confidence, which dampened economic growth and hiring.

"After a pretty dismal midyear … what we’ve seen is consumer confidence recently has taken on a significant uptick as a lot of (global economic) concerns have declined," Wise said. "We’re seeing that the debt crisis is at least on the back burner for now."

Nationally, mortgage delinquencies are expected to fall to 5 percent by the end of 2012 from nearly 6 percent this year, rising in the first quarter then declining in the last three quarters, Chicago-based TransUnion said. Credit card delinquencies nationwide will drop to 0.69 percent from 0.74 percent.

Not everyone has an optimistic view of the upcoming year.

Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Hawaii isn’t anticipating a decline in the number of families it counsels next year, given that joblessness is still a major problem for isle residents, said executive director Wendy Burkholder. The agency counseled 2,500 families through November, up 4.5 percent over the same period last year.

"We’re seeing families still struggling to just keep their noses above water on the very basic things that sustain a family," she said. "Until the job climate improves, I don’t see anything shifting dramatically in a positive direction. My best hope is that it stays the same and doesn’t increase."

Local economist Leroy Laney took a middle path on the economic outlook for next year with a group of bankers last month at First Hawaiian Bank’s 42nd Annual Business Outlook forum.

Laney projected the number of payroll jobs to climb 1.2 percent in 2012, enough to push the unemployment rate down to 5.5 percent.

"2012 is not going to be a banner year," he said Wednesday. "Growth will be positive, but it will be slow."