A Mushrooming Number of Unpaid Internships
Aleksey Gladyshev /
The United States is experiencing tough economic times and high levels of unemployment, leading to a dramatic increase in the number of young people taking unpaid internships to advance their careers. Unfortunately, current laws say that many unpaid internships are actually illegal because these positions do not qualify for the status of being “unpaid” as defined by the Fair Labor Standards Act. The requirements of what constitutes an unpaid internship should be loosened to make it legal for more students to work for free if they choose to do so, thus allowing free market forces to dictate pay for interns.
Some analysts argue that unpaid internships are not only financially unfeasible but unjust as well (interns are not protected by certain employee discrimination laws, etc.) Yet the argument continues, many interns are reluctant to complain or question the legality of such internships, fearing that they will become known as troublemakers in their professional circles, and as a result, reducing their prospects for future, full-time employment. However, if an intern feels that an unpaid internship is something that they do not want to do, they would not do it in the first place. Laws requiring companies to pay interns would only punish those willing to forgo salary for the opportunity to gain valuable experience and enhance their resumes. Therefore, the free market solution—not more government regulation—is the best way to determine how much an employer should pay an intern.