Hawaii’s improving economy continues to keep a lid on statewide bankruptcies.

The 108 cases filed in February were down 18.2 percent to extend a trend that has seen bankruptcies flat or down from the year-earlier period for 57 of the last 59 months, according to data released Tuesday by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Hawaii.

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

“This downward trend is consistent with the national trend, which shows total bankruptcy filings falling for the past four, five years,” said Honolulu bankruptcy attorney Chuck Choi of the law firm Wagner Choi &­Verbrugge. “That’s indicative of the strengthening economy, job growth, low unemployment and increasing property values.

“But I’m not convinced that the downward trend in bankruptcy filings means that people are better off, because it’s still very difficult making ends meet in this state for the vast majority of people.”

Choi said people often file for bankruptcy as a last resort.

“People are forced to file for bankruptcy due to a variety of reasons including job loss, excessive credit card debt and sometimes unanticipated events like medical bills or a divorce,” said Choi, whose law firm primarily handles commercial and business bankruptcies. “I suspect people (in financial need) are working longer hours, working more than one job, borrowing possibly from friends and family, and, when they can, tapping into their own home equity.”

Last month’s 108 filings were down from 132 in the year-earlier period and marked the fewest bankruptcies for any February since 2006 when there were 57 cases. Although it’s still early in the year, the current pace of 203 filings through the first two months of 2016 would equal 1,218 for the full year and be the lowest total since 1,381 were filed in 2007.

Chapter 7 liquidation bankruptcies — the most common type of bankruptcy — fell 37.1 percent last month to 61 from 97 in the year-earlier month. Chapter 13 filings, which allow individuals with regular sources of income to set up plans to pay creditors over time, rose 33.3 percent to 44 from 33. And Chapter 11 cases, typically a business reorganization, increased 50 percent to three cases from two.

Across the state, the number of filings was flat or fell in all four major counties last month. Bankruptcies in Honolulu matched the 82 filings of the year-earlier month, while Hawaii County filings fell to 12 from 17 and Maui County cases declined to 14 from 27. There were no filings in Kauai County compared with six in February 2015.