How unpaid internships hurt all workers and worsen income inequality

When middle-class or low-income students can’t afford to be cheap labor, those unpaid internships effectively shut them out of their desired career paths—while opening doors for privileged students who already have a leg up.

Unpaid internships have long been criticized for favoring privileged students while others who face down a record-high $1.6 trillion in student loan debt are expected to work for free, essentially setting up income inequality before their careers even begin.

By Pavithra Mohan