Covid-19 impact: US commercial bankruptcy filings up 33% so far this year

US commercial bankruptcy filings are up 33% so far this year with new cases in September surging by 78% from a year earlier as the recession triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic hits small businesses, data released on Monday showed.
 
Filings by individuals, however, are lower so far this year courtesy of government relief efforts.
 
Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings totaled 747 last month, up from 420 a year earlier and from 525 in August, legal services firm Epiq said in a monthly report. Year-to-date filings total 5,529, a third higher than in the first three quarters of 2019.