Economic recovery still seems a long way off in Southeastern Massachusetts.

More residents of Bristol and Norfolk counties filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection during the first nine months of 2009 than in all of last year, according to a new report by The Warren Group.

Chapter 7 bankruptcy is when a person's or business' assets are liquidated and the proceeds are distributed to creditors.

A total of 2,284 bankruptcy filings were recorded in Bristol and Norfolk counties during the first three quarters of 2009, compared with 2,257 in all of 2008.

Statewide, bankruptcy filings increased 35 percent in the first three quarters, compared with the same period last year. There were 11,872 Chapter 7 bankruptcy filings in Massachusetts from January through September, up 35.3 percent from 8,777 during the same months in 2008 and almost double the 6,229 filings during the same period in 2007.

The number of filings for the first three quarters surged to the highest level for that nine-month period since 2005.

"A growing number of people are being forced into bankruptcy because job losses and salary cuts have made it difficult for them to pay their bills," said Timothy M. Warren Jr., CEO of the Warren Group, which publishes Banker and Tradesman. "Some have relied on credit cards to pay for even basic living expenses and now are seeking protection under bankruptcy law as a last resort."

Third quarter Chapter 7 filings totaled 4,098, a 34.1 percent increase from 3,055 in the third quarter of 2008 but 8.7 percent lower than the previous quarter's 4,489 filings.

A Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing is the most common option for people seeking relief from their debts and accounted for 82 percent of bankruptcy filings tracked by The Warren Group in Massachusetts during the third quarter of 2009.

Filings spiked in 2005 shortly before a federal law went into effect that made it tougher and more expensive for consumers to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection.

The law requires debtors to file under Chapter 13 if their income exceeds the median income in their state. While Chapter 7 essentially wipes away debt, Chapter 13 requires debtors to arrange for a three- or five-year debt repayment plan.

Chapter 13 bankruptcy filings in Massachusetts dropped 23.4 percent to 2,463 in the first three quarters of 2009, from 3,216 in the first three quarters of 2008, the Warren Group reported.