The number of Hawaii residents and businesses filing for bankruptcy fell in March for the ninth consecutive month, according to a report issued Tuesday by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

The 163 cases filed in March was 19 percent fewer than the 200 cases filed the same month a year earlier. Bankruptcy filings have been on a downward trend since early 2011, tracking improvements in Hawaii’s job market and the broader economy. Bankruptcies had peaked in mid-2010 as the local economy struggled to recover from the 2008-2009 recession.

Bankruptcies fell by 12 percent to 106 cases in Honolulu County, by 25 percent to 21 cases in Hawaii County, by 26 percent to 32 cases in Maui County and by 50 percent to four cases in Kauai County.