Total commercial Chapter 11 filings in July decreased 62 percent from the previous year, according to data provided by Epiq, according to the American Bankruptcy Institute. Commercial Chapter 11 filings totaled 244 in July, down from the July 2020 total of 644. Total commercial filings decreased 39 percent in July 2021, as the 1,701 filings declined from the 2,780 commercial filings registered in July 2020.
The 32,387 total bankruptcy filings in July 2021 were down 24 percent from the 42,865 total filings in July 2020. Total consumer filings decreased 23 percent in July 2021, as the 30,686 filings fell from the 40,085 consumer filings registered in July 2020.
“Extended stabilization efforts by the federal government, lender forbearance and continued low interest rates have kept struggling families and businesses afloat during the pandemic,” said ABI Executive Director Amy Quackenboss. “As relief programs recede, global supply chains are challenged and potential inflation looms, bankruptcy provides a proven lifeline for financially overwhelmed consumers and companies.”
July’s commercial Chapter 11 filings represented a 30 percent decrease from the 349 filings in June. Total commercial filings were down 15 percent over the June commercial filing total of 1,989. Total bankruptcy filings in July represented a 6 percent increase over the 34,277 total filings recorded the previous month. Total noncommercial filings for July represented a 5 percent increase from the June noncommercial filing total of 32,288.
The average nationwide per capita bankruptcy filing rate in July was 1.38 (total filings per 1,000 per population), a slight decrease from the filing rate of 1.40 during the first six months of 2021. Average total filings per day in July 2021 were 1,542, a 21 percent decrease from the 1,948 total daily filings in July 2020. States with the highest per capita filing rates (total filings per 1,000 population) in July 2021 were:
- Alabama (3.13)
- Nevada (2.85)
- Tennessee (2.49)
- Indiana (2.29)
- Kentucky (2.17)