We’ve all seen them: Ads for unpaid internships can be found on billboards and listservs across the country. Every posting uses a different euphemism to justify offering full-time work for no pay, but there’s something they all forget to write: “Poor people need not apply.”

Every single time you see a posting for an unpaid internship, you’re seeing a posting that’s only open to people who can afford to work for free. In countless industries, from film-making to public policy, entry-level jobs have disappeared, replaced by unpaid internships. These unpaid and unregulated positions drive down wages across the whole economy, and prevent anyone without economic privilege from getting ahead.

This strikes at the heart of a fundamental promise that we make to each other: that economic opportunity is for everyone. That no matter who you are, or where you come from, if you work hard, you deserve the chance to pursue your dreams. But unpaid internships guarantee that people lucky enough not to have to pay their own bills get their foot in the door, while everybody else gets it slammed in their face.

[See a collection of political cartoons on the economy.]

Supporters of unpaid internships ignore the impossible economic reality faced by today’s young workers when they tell potential interns that they just need to work hard and persevere. Average student debt is now almost $30,000, and low-income students usually owe much more. The average rent in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, home to hundreds of thousands of unpaid internships, is well over $1,000 per month for a shared apartment. No amount of hard work and perseverance can pay for that plus groceries, bills, and other expenses.

But unpaid internships aren’t just unfair; they’re also illegal at for-profit companies. Under the terms of the Fair Labor Standards Act, if an unpaid intern does work that benefits the company, she has a right to be paid. And no, college credit is not the same as pay.

Many employers are waking up to the fact that unpaid internships aren’t just bad for workers, they’re bad for business too. For-profit companies are playing with fire when they hire unpaid interns, since they risk expensive lawsuits if uncompensated workers wise up to their legal rights. Unfortunately, these protections do not apply to non-profits and some parts of our government — but they should. Do interns at non-profits have any less right to fair pay? Do they have any less need to pay their rent and buy their groceries?

[Check out our gallery of political cartoons.]

It’s not just about the law; it’s also about attracting a diverse range of talented applicants. Employers in every industry need to ask themselves: Do we want to recruit the most talented, dedicated and skilled applicants? Or do we just want to recruit the wealthy? If organizations want workplaces that are less white and male, they should start by paying their interns.

Some unpaid internships are illegal; all unpaid internships are immoral. We all deserve fair pay, and a fair shot at our dreams.

It’s time to end unpaid internships.



