Total U.S. bankruptcy filings decreased 8 percent in July 2017 from June, according to data provided by Epiq Systems, Inc. and reported by the American Bankruptcy Institute. Total filings registered 61,366 in July 2017, down from the June 2017 total of 66,789. The 58,522 consumer filings in July also represented an 8 percent drop from the previous month’s consumer total of 63,372. July business filings decreased 17 percent to 2,844 from June’s business total of 3,417.
Commercial chapter 11 filings registered a 44 percent decrease in July as the 325 filings were down from last month’s total of 582.
“High filing costs continue to steer distressed households and businesses away from the financial relief of bankruptcy,” said ABI Executive Director Samuel J. Gerdano. “The recommendations of ABI’s Chapter 11 Commission, along with the ongoing efforts of the Commission on Consumer Bankruptcy, are striving toward solutions to make bankruptcy more accessible for struggling businesses and families.”
Total U.S. commercial bankruptcy filings registered a minor decrease in July 2017 compared to July 2016 as the 61,366 filings this year were 0.01 percent less than last July’s 61,371. Consumer filings were up 0.22 percent in July 2017 over last year’s consumer filing total of 58,391. Total commercial filings decreased 5 percent from the July 2016 total of 2,980, and commercial chapter 11 filings were down 9 percent from last year’s 358 filings.
The average nationwide per capita bankruptcy-filing rate in July was 2.54 (total filings per 1,000 per population), a slight decrease from the filing rate of 2.57 during the first six months of the year. Average total filings per day in July 2017 were 3,069, a 0.03 percent increase from the 3,068 total daily filings in July 2016. States with the highest per capita filing rates (total filings per 1,000 population) in July 2017 were:
- Alabama (5.76)
- Tennessee (5.62)
- Georgia (4.74)
- Mississippi (4.12)
- Utah (4.08)