The pool of potential car buyers who recently filed for bankruptcy and could be served by buy-here, pay-here dealerships continues to deepen, at least based on a year-ago comparison.

According to data provided by Epiq AACER through the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI), total filings in May increased 7% year-over-year, rising from 48,279 to 51,772.

Individual bankruptcy filings climbed at a similar pace, with the May number coming in at 48,918. That’s an 8% increase from last May’s individual filing figure of 45,473.

Epiq AACER indicated individual Chapter 7 filings jumped 10% year-over-year in May, increasing from 28,680 to 31,668.

And analysts noted the 17,146 individual Chapter 13 filings in May represented a 3% increase from May of last year when there were 16,685 of these cases.

Furthermore, while showing some softening, commercial bankruptcy activities still caught experts’ attention. Here is that data courtesy of a news release:

—2,806 overall commercial filings, which nearly matched the year-ago figure

—684 commercial Chapter 11 filings, marking a 7% decrease from May of last year when there were 739 cases

—29 Chapter 12 filings, a streamlined restructuring designed specifically for family farms and fisheries, a 7% increase from last May

What also stirred a reaction from the commercial side was the 281 commercial Subchapter V elections within Chapter 11 in May. That number represented a 36% increase over the 207 filings recorded last May.

“May data shows a steady uptick in bankruptcy activity, particularly among small businesses,” Epiq AACER vice president Michael Hunter said in the news release. “The trend highlights the cumulative impact of elevated interest rates, inflation, and operating costs. As access to affordable credit remains constrained, more businesses and consumers are turning to restructuring tools to stabilize and reset financially.”

When looking at the May data versus April, only one slice of the information showed an uptick. Here’s the rundown:

—Total filings decreased 8% from April’s total of 56,443

—Individual filings decreased 8% from April’s total of 53,359.

—Individual Chapter 7 cases decreased 10% from April’s total of 35,222

—Individual Chapter 13 cases decreased 5% from April’s total of 18,002

—Commercial filings decreased 9% from April’s total of 3,084

—Commercial Chapter 11 filings increased 6% from April’s total of 646

—Subchapter V elections decreased 6% from April’s total of 300

—Chapter 12 filings decreased 53% from April’s total of 62

Still, ABI executive director Amy Quackenboss sees turbulence now and perhaps down the road.

“Elevated costs, expensive credit and geopolitical instability continue to put pressure on households and businesses,” Quackenboss said in the news release. “Bankruptcy offers a proven process for businesses and families to reduce debt and move forward financially.”

ABI partners with Epiq to provide the most current bankruptcy filing data for analysts, researchers, and members of the news media.