Hawaii bankruptcies declined 10.9 percent last month to a nine-year June low amid a booming construction sector, low unemployment, a strong housing market and modest growth in the tourism industry.

The decline in statewide filings continued a downward trend that has seen the number of cases flat or down from the year-earlier period for 61 of the past 63 months, according to data released Friday by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Hawaii.

There were 115 cases filed last month, down from 129 in the year-earlier period and the fewest filings in any June since 112 were filed in 2007.

The only interruption in the downward trend was in October and November of last year when bankruptcies were up slightly over the year-earlier period.

For the first six months of the year, bankruptcies are down 14.1 percent from the year-earlier period.

Hawaii’s economy has been growing at a steady pace. The 40,700 construction jobs in May were an all-time high for the sector. The state’s 3.2 percent unemployment rate in May was tied for the fifth lowest in the country. Oahu’s median prices in May of $719,000 for single-family homes and $373,000 for condominiums were near all-time peaks. And visitor arrivals and spending through midyear were up 3.1 percent and 1 percent, respectively, and on their way to a fifth straight record year.

Despite the continued downturn in filings, Honolulu bankruptcy attorney Blake Goodman said the trend might be misleading.

“There continues to be a pretty positive tourism market, construction is still out there and housing prices seem to be holding, and there’s a lot of equity in people’s properties,” he said. “But I think the beginning of the unemployment curve may be starting to surface. There seems to be more unemployment occurring than there was a year or so ago. I met with two people today, and both lost their jobs in the last three months — one in construction and one in the tourism business, a housekeeper.”

Goodman said people seem to be holding onto their houses, however.

“I still don’t see a bunch of foreclosures,” he said. “So it’s the typical run-of-the-mill people getting a higher debt load than they can afford, or they suffered some kind of unemployment or income interruption to sort of tip the scales.”

Goodman said he’s also noticed that the average age of his clients has been increasing.

“The baby boomers are now getting old and are on fixed income,” he said. “Our clients are a little more aged than in the past. There are older, retired people coming in.”

Chapter 7 liquidation bankruptcies — the most common type of bankruptcy — edged up 2.4 percent last month to 84 from 82 in the year-earlier month. But Chapter 13 filings, which allow individuals with regular sources of income to set up plans to pay creditors over time, declined 36.2 percent to 30 from 47. And there was one Chapter 11 case last month involving business reorganization, filed by Cuzco Development U.S.A. LLC, owner of a retail center on Keeaumoku Street. There were no Chapter 11 filings in June 2015.

Across the state, the number of filings remained the same in two of the four major counties and were mixed in the other two. Bankruptcies in Hawaii County remained at 17 compared with a year ago while Maui bankruptcies held at 21. Honolulu bankruptcies dropped to 67 from 86 while Kauai bankruptcies doubled to 10 from five.

SEEKING RELIEF

Bankruptcy filings in June declined from a year ago.

Source: U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Hawaii