Each year, about 1.5 million internships open to workers in America and around half of those were unpaid in 2016, according to Fortune.
Unpaid internships are common in many countries. In the U.S. it is perfectly legal not to pay someone in these positions as long as the work benefits the intern more than the company.
* Unpaid interns should not displace paid workers, that is the first important factor.
*Unpaid interns should receive training similar to what is found in an educational setting. A recent change makes it even easier not to pay interns by removing the rule that they cannot provide an 'immediate advantage' for businesses.
According to Success magazine, benefits such as knowledge, access, and opportunity that come from unpaid internships can more than make up for salary. The internship could provide exposure to important industry leaders, creating an impressive addition to the resume.
Unfortunately, there are also drawbacks to taking unpaid work. The cost is one. The best intern positions are offered in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco with high costs of living, according to CNBC. Staying a summer in Los Angeles, for instance, would cost roughly $9,506. Adding in the lost pay that even minimum wage would earn, about $3,480, equals a $12,986 bill for access and experience.
Recent surveys, meanwhile, show that unpaid internships might not bring any statistical advantage over paid internships and might actually result in lower wages when a participant ultimately lands their first job.
