ALEXANDRIA, Va. — There were 144,490 consumer bankruptcies filed in April, a 15 percent increase nationwide over the 125,618 filings recorded in the year-ago period, according to the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI), relying on data from the National Bankruptcy Research Center (NBKRC).

NBKRC’s data also showed that consumer filings declined on a month-to-month basis, as April filings represented a 3 percent decrease from the 149,268 consumer filings recorded in March 2010. Chapter 13 filings constituted 25 percent of all consumer cases in April, remaining unchanged from March.

“As Congress continues to consider measures to protect and assist consumers, bankruptcy is still the last resort for families coping with unemployment and increasing debt loads,” said ABI Executive Director Samuel J. Gerdano. “Consumer filings this year will likely surpass 1.5 million filings.”