LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s unemployment rate dipped to a historic, national low once again last month, according to new data released Tuesday.

The Nebraska Department of Labor reported a state unemployment rate of 1.7% in December. Nebraska retained its spot as the state with the lowest rate, followed by Utah with a 1.9% rate and Oklahoma with 2.3%.

Nebraska’s rate is also the lowest on record since data collection began in 1976, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The state has kept the lowest rate through much of the pandemic. The November rate was 1.8%.

The December rate was even lower in Nebraska’s largest cities, with the Omaha area reporting a 1.6% rate, the Lincoln area reporting 1.1%, and the Grand Island area reporting 1.4%,

Nebraska has struggled with a chronic worker shortage since even before the pandemic, and it has driven up wages and made it difficult for employers to hire and expand. Business groups have identified the lack of employees as their biggest challenge.