Albertans continue to struggle with debt, as the number of bankruptcies and consumer proposals filed last November jumped 26 per cent from a year earlier, according to the latest federal data.

A total of 1,145 people filed for insolvency for the month, up from 906 in November 2015.

Of the latest insolvency filings, 465 were bankruptcies and 680 were consumer proposals, where the debtors make legally binding offers to pay creditors back a percentage of what is owed to them or extend the length of time over which the repayments occur.

Freida Richer, a bankruptcy trustee with Grant Thornton, said the insolvency numbers aren't surprising, given the persistently high level of unemployment in the province.

"People simply don't have the cash flow available, or their EI has run out, the funds have drained from their severance package or savings or emergency funds, to the point where they can no longer service their debt," she said.

While there have been some recent signs of recovery in the provincial economy, Richer said many people are still dealing with the consequences of previous borrowing.

"Although people are starting to generate more income, which is a good thing, their debt levels are still quite high, or high enough that they aren't able to service the debt on their own," she said.

Richer said she expects insolvency filings will continue to rise for some time before shifting to a downward trend by 2018.