Please answer the given financial question based on the context.
Context: as of 30 september 2016 and 2015 , there were no assets or liabilities classified as discontinued operations relating to the homecare business . 5 . business restructuring and cost reduction actions the charges we record for business restructuring and cost reduction actions have been excluded from segment operating income . cost reduction actions in fiscal year 2016 , we recognized an expense of $ 33.9 ( $ 24.0 after-tax , or $ .11 per share ) for severance and other benefits related to cost reduction actions which resulted in the elimination of approximately 700 positions . the expenses related primarily to the industrial gases 2013 americas and the industrial gases 2013 emea segments . the following table summarizes the carrying amount of the accrual for cost reduction actions at 30 september severance and other benefits .
||severance and other benefits|
|2016 charge|$ 33.9|
|amount reflected in pension liability|-.9 ( .9 )|
|cash expenditures|-20.4 ( 20.4 )|
|currency translation adjustment|.3|
|30 september 2016|$ 12.9|
business realignment and reorganization on 18 september 2014 , we announced plans to reorganize the company , including realignment of our businesses in new reporting segments and other organizational changes , effective as of 1 october 2014 . as a result of this reorganization , we incurred severance and other charges . in fiscal year 2015 , we recognized an expense of $ 207.7 ( $ 153.2 after-tax , or $ .71 per share ) . severance and other benefits totaled $ 151.9 and related to the elimination of approximately 2000 positions . asset and associated contract actions totaled $ 55.8 and related primarily to a plant shutdown in the corporate and other segment and the exit of product lines within the industrial gases 2013 global and materials technologies segments . the 2015 charges related to the segments as follows : $ 31.7 in industrial gases 2013 americas , $ 52.2 in industrial gases 2013 emea , $ 10.3 in industrial gases 2013 asia , $ 37.0 in industrial gases 2013 global , $ 27.6 in materials technologies , and $ 48.9 in corporate and other . during the fourth quarter of 2014 , an expense of $ 12.7 ( $ 8.2 after-tax , or $ .04 per share ) was incurred relating to the elimination of approximately 50 positions . the 2014 charge related to the segments as follows : $ 2.9 in industrial gases 2013 americas , $ 3.1 in industrial gases 2013 emea , $ 1.5 in industrial gases 2013 asia , $ 1.5 in industrial gases 2013 global , $ 1.6 in materials technologies , and $ 2.1 in corporate and other. .
Question: considering the years 2015-2016 , what was the decrease observed in the expense for severance and other benefits?
Answer:
-0.83678