Young Chinese people have faced an increasingly challenging job market, with youths aged 16 to 24 reporting a surveyed unemployment rate of 18.9 percent in August, according to the latest figures from the National Bureau of Statistics.

The number marks a slight drop from June of 14.5 percent but continued to rise in July and August. In July, the surveyed unemployment rate for this age group was 17.8 percent. These calculations do not include students still in school.

According to the NBS, the surveyed unemployment rate for youths aged 25 to 29 stood at 7.2 percent in August, showing a consistent rise from June. Again, students in school were excluded from this calculation.