What financial burden do unpaid internships place on youths?

Question

Accepted Answer

Unpaid internships can force youths to pay for their own living costs, making participation financially out of reach.

Unpaid internships typically require interns to cover their own subsistence, including food and, when the internship is in another region or state, accommodation and transport expenses. For youths who are usually still studying or early in their careers, this can be prohibitively expensive, especially in major cities where housing costs are high. An extreme example involved a UN intern in 2015 who camped in a public park in Geneva because accommodation was “more expensive than he imagined,” and he eventually left the internship.
Unpaid work shifts living expenses onto interns
When an internship is not paid, the intern must use their own money for basic living costs. This includes food, and if the internship requires relocation, it also includes accommodation and transportation. The reference case highlights that the scale of these expenses can quickly exceed what a typical intern can afford.
Relocation costs can be decisive for students and early-career youths
The financial burden becomes sharper when interns take up placements outside their home region or state. Accommodation and transport costs add to the subsistence expenses, which can make the internship difficult to sustain for someone without an income. The example of Geneva underscores how city-level accommodation costs can be a major barrier.
High living costs can disrupt day-to-day conditions
Financial strain from unpaid internships can affect an intern’s ability to focus on the work. The reference notes that this situation can lead interns to come to work hungry or in poor living conditions due to bad circumstances. In a short two- to three-month internship period, these strains can still be significant enough to undermine the experience.
The burden can end the internship early in extreme cases
In the most severe scenario described, the intern’s inability to cover accommodation costs led to leaving the programme. The UN intern who camped in a public park in Geneva ultimately ended the internship after finding the accommodation costs higher than expected. This illustrates how unpaid arrangements can translate into an immediate exit when living expenses cannot be met.

Reading history

Hide →

This history is cleared when the page is closed.

What financial burden do unpaid internships place on youths?

Loading

Was this article helpful?

Helpful

Not helpful

Report an issue

1

0

0

Share with friends