More than 8,000 Utah people and businesses filed bankruptcy in the 12 months ending June 30 - more than one for every 100 households in the state.
And the American Bankruptcy Institute is predicting a "bankruptcy boom" nationwide for the rest of this calendar year and beyond.On Wednesday, Samuel J. Gerdano, executive director of the institute, blamed a steady increase in personal debt over the past decade, not the recession.
"The record number of filings shows no sign of decreasing - regardless of an improvement in the current economy. The recession is not the main cause here. The only way the recession can push you over the edge is if you are already sitting on it," he said.
Institute data released Wednesday show 8,042 bankruptcies were filed in Utah from July 1, 1990, to June 30, 1991. The data said 930 were for businesses and 7,112 were for individuals. In comparison in calendar 1990, Utah had 7,894 bankruptcies.