Britain’s Office for National Statistics said Wednesday the country’s unemployment rate has topped 8 percent for the first time in 15 years.

The unemployment numbers reported for the June-August period show an increase of 0.2 percent over the May-July period, bringing the unemployment rate to 8.1 percent.

The official statistics also reveal the number of young people without work hit a record high.

The total number of unemployed people has reached a 17-year high.