Working for Experience, Not Money: The Real Cost of Unpaid Internships

Nowadays, completing an internship is essentially a required step before entering the job market. The only problem is that most internship opportunities are often either unpaid or require prior experience in the field. Unpaid internships are frequently advertised as “great opportunities” for students to gain professional experience, but they frequently offer little to no financial compensation. For many young people, this situation raises difficult questions concerning fairness, equal access, and privilege.

Internships are indeed a great way to start a career. Yet, when they perpetuate existing inequalities by forcing young people to put their lives on hold and rely on personal savings or parental support, they risk leaving out talented youths. Internship organisations propose unpaid internships to attract a broad pool of young talent at a low cost.

The controversy surrounding unpaid internships has sparked debates within the European Union, where institutions are discussing new directives aimed at fostering fairer conditions for interns and trainees. In September 2025, the European Parliament adopted a new position on the traineeship directive proposed by the European Commission that would require most traineeships to be paid. Its goal is to prevent exploitation, ensure equal opportunities, and improve working conditions for interns and trainees.

However, the EU Parliament’s position contrasts with that of the Council, which prefers a more gradual approach rather than a full ban on unpaid internships. This disparity opens the stage for further rounds of negotiations between the EU Parliament, the Council, and the Commission to reach a final agreement on how to ensure fairer access to the labour market and address unpaid work.

It should be noted that even if the directive for improving working conditions for trainees were to be adopted, the EU cannot oblige member states to fully comply, as employment policy remains largely an area of national competence. Nevertheless, adopting such a directive could significantly improve the current quality of internships and encourage the introduction of common standards across the EU.

Youth organisations and political parties like The Greens/EFA have made their point clear: if interns work, they must be paid. No one should be expected to work for free, especially during a housing and financial crisis that already puts heavy pressure on students and recent graduates, no matter the length of the internship. However, employers are increasingly relying on interns as a source of free labour, deepening these inequalities.

A study by the European Youth Forum found that young people spend, on average, €1000 a month to sustain themselves (including rent and other living expenses). Given that the average duration of an internship is about 6 months, these studies emphasised that young people cannot work without a salary, as it puts them under financial insecurity and exacerbates inequalities.

While unpaid internships may help organisations to save money, they risk excluding talented young people who simply cannot afford to work for free. A survey conducted by The Guardian revealed that many students or recent graduates undertaking an unpaid internship “received money from parents, lived with family or friends, or relied on savings” just to get by. This shows that behind the attractiveness of “career opportunities”, many young people are struggling to make ends meet whilst performing full-time work without remuneration.

Beyond the EU, big international organisations, including the UN, also face scrutiny over their unpaid internship policies. The UN, which stands for peace, security, equality, and human rights, still requires most interns to cover all living, travel, and insurance costs themselves. On the one hand, UN internships are an excellent opportunity to learn about global diplomacy, boost your CV, and potentially open doors for your career in the future. But on the other hand, by offering unpaid labour, the UN fails to portray itself as the institution that brings “progressive values around the world”. This contradiction goes against the fair representation and equal opportunity for people from diverse socio-economic backgrounds that the UN should strive to personify, and could increase the gap between the Global North and the Global South.

Internships provide valuable training and experience, even without pay. Yet, interns often work full-time, handle substantial responsibilities, and are not guaranteed a job afterward. Despite these challenges, many young people still apply, most likely motivated by the internship organisation’s values, the relevance to their studies, and in the hope that the experience will one day pay off. It should also be considered that some companies and organisations lack the financial means to pay their interns and thus have to rely on free labour.

This paradox is at the core of the unpaid internship debate. Young people are willing to sacrifice short-term financial stability for long-term career prospects, but should they really have to do so?

As recent developments within the EU continue, there is hope that the directive on the improvement of the quality of traineeships in the EU will be adopted. A key step toward a fairer and more inclusive EU would be to recognise interns as real contributors to the organisation’s work, not just temporary learners.

Sara Seregni

Staff Writer