LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska officials are reporting a sharp decline in jobless claims and benefits paid out this year as well as lower unemployment tax rates for businesses.

The state labor department says unemployment benefits paid out in the first nine months of 2016 fell by more than 19 percent, compared to a decline of less than 1 percent nationally. Gov. Pete Ricketts on Wednesday attributed the decline to Nebraska’s first-in-the-nation reemployment program.

Ricketts says the reduction in claims and benefits paid has already resulted in $13.4 million in savings so far this year.

Commissioner of Labor John Albin says Nebraska’s average unemployment insurance tax rate has fallen for the sixth straight year. The average tax rate for 2017 will be 0.75 percent, a decrease of 0.25 percentage points from this year.