A new report by the Commons finance committee says the federal government should take steps to ensure unpaid internships are in line with the country’s labour laws.

The report, which looked at the challenges of youth employment, recommends Ottawa work with provinces and territories to protect unpaid interns under the relevant labour codes.

It also suggests the federal government examine unpaid internships to understand their impact on the job market.

Estimates suggest as many 300,000 young Canadians work as unpaid interns, but there is little hard data available because employers aren’t required to report the numbers to federal authorities.

In all, the Conservative-dominated committee put forward 23 recommendations to help address youth unemployment, which has climbed in recent years.

A section prepared by the NDP argued for additional, tougher measures, including changes to the federal labour code to protect interns’ working conditions.

The report, released Friday, comes after months of heated debate in Canada over the merits of unpaid internships.

Many young people take part in unpaid internships in hopes of earning workplace experience or a full-time job.

Critics argue the practice amounts to a form of exploitation and limits participation to those who can afford to work for free.

The committee heard testimony from several groups calling for a crackdown during its hearings in March and April.

The unemployment rate for youth aged 15 to 19 climbed from 15.7 to 20.1 per cent between the first half of 2008 and the first half of 2013, according to the report.

The unemployment rate for youth aged 20 to 24 climbed from 9.4 to 11.1 per cent during the same period.