Hawai'i bankruptcy filings jumped by 59 percent in April, reaching their second highest total in the three and a half years since the change in bankruptcy laws.

Figures released by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Honolulu show there were 251 bankruptcies filed last month, with only March's 270 filings totaling more since the laws were changed in October 2005.

Bankruptcy filings have been accelerating over the past year because of an increase in unemployment, a credit crunch and lingering problems associated with the sub-prime mortgage crisis.

While Hawai'i has one of the lowest per-capita bankruptcy rates in the nation, the number of filings have surged by more than 50 percent compared at the previous year in each of the last eight months. There may be more to come, according to local attorney Kendal Luke, who helps people prepare their bankruptcy petitions.