The Daily Aus asked its readers who have completed unpaid internships about their experiences. Almost three-quarters of respondents said they felt exploited at some time during their internship. Here’s how 500 TDA readers responded.
Have you participated in an unpaid internship for more than two weeks?
No
32%
Yes
68%
Did you ever feel exploited or taken advantage of during the unpaid internship?
No
27%
Yes
42%
Sometimes
31%
Did you ever feel you were completing work that deserved financial compensation?
No
8%
Sometimes
17%
Yes
75%
Did the unpaid internship impact your ability to pay for basic necessities?
Yes
50%
No
43%
I’m not sure
7%
Other studies
There is not a lot of recent data on how common unpaid internships are in Australia.
A nationally-representative study of internships in 2016 found about 60% of Australians aged between 18 and 29 had participated in at least one stint of unpaid work experience in the five years prior.
First-hand accounts
Across the next few posts, TDA will speak to several young people who have completed unpaid internships, and investigate some of the legal frameworks guiding internships in Australia.
