Young workers have borne the brunt of economic hardship in the labour market since the Great Recession.

The most recent 2014 unemployment rates for under-25s in Europe and the U.S. shows a whopping 54% unemployment rate for those under 25 in Spain， 43% in Italy， nearly 24% in France， 18% in the UK and 12% in the U.S.

Though these figures have in some cases improved in the last few years， persistent high unemployment has led more and more new graduates to internships as a way to get a foot in the door at companies around the globe. And in some cases， long-term internships both during and after university have become the main way to get into the workforce as a young professional. But， more concerning to some is that too many young people are moving from one internship to the next， especially in Europe. They dont secure a regular full-time job—and sometimes arent paid adequately—for years.

Even in a country like France， where what the French call stages have been a common hurdle to accessing the job market for decades， the number of internships shot up from 600，000 in 2006 to 1.6 million in 2012， according to French government statistics.

Working for Free

What is even more worrying for young workers is that this job experience is often pro bono： a 2013 EU report found that 59% of 18- to 35-year-olds across 27 EU member states hadnt received any financial compensation for their most recent internship.

The U.S. has also seen a rise in unpaid internships over the past decade， according to Ross Perlin， author of Intern Nation. He estimates up to half of these are unpaid， though unlike in Europe many are part of university curricula or organised summer programmes for those still in the midst of their studies. However， critics contend that theres almost no way to really know how big the issue is in the U.S. And according to a YouGov 2014 poll， interns in the UK dont fare much better than their U.S. counterparts. Some 26% of UK companies pay either nothing or only expenses for interns， typically about ￡500 （$744）.

Taking Advantage

Increasingly， young people in both the U.S. and across Europe are feeling frustrated with the status quo.

Christina Isnardi did four unpaid internships for academic credit while a student at New York University. In one instance， she paid $1，200 to NYU to intern in the camera department on a production set. In reality she was little more than a gofer.

“I definitely didnt need a college degree to do it; an 8-year-old could have，” she said.

Perlins research on internships found that more than 75% of university students in the U.S. did at least one internship during their schooling. And anecdotally， there are increasing reports of recent graduates taking on similar internships after commencement， a practice that is commonplace in Europe， not just for a first job experience， but often several internships in a row， well past graduation.

Nuno Loureiros experience exemplifies this. He left Portugal for Brussels in 2008 with a degree in International Relations. He landed an unpaid internship at the Portuguese Permanent Representation to the EU， and on one occasion even replaced the official representative in negotiations with other member states.

“In retrospect， I think I should have been paid， but at the time I did it willingly because it was experience，” he said. He went on to do six more internships over three years， only one of which was paid. “Companies and NGOs are definitely taking advantage of this job market， which is completely saturated with highly-qualified and highly motivated young people，” he said.

Towards Quality Internships

Advocacy groups have successfully raised public awareness about the plight of interns in both North America and Europe. In 2014， more than 10 such groups formed the International Coalition for Fair Internships to further heighten the visibility of the actions of individual associations in different countries.

Intense grassroots action in France culminated in the passage of a ground-breaking law in 2014 to improve conditions for the countrys hundreds of thousands of stagiaires. It includes measures like setting a limit of six months on the majority of internships and raising the monthly indemnity from around 400 euros （$456） per month to just over 500 euros （$570）.

The European Union has also moved to address the increase in questionable internships across Europe by adopting a Quality Framework on Traineeships in March 2014. The framework calls on EU member states to ensure their national laws guarantee internships are “high-quality work experience under safe and fair conditions”. The aim is to improve internship transparency and quality through such measures as requiring internships be based on a written agreement covering learning content and working conditions.

Whats Next？

Young people are also pushing back. Isnardi， the NYU student， who now works at a labour and employment law firm， successfully petitioned NYU in 2014 to remove unpaid internships that dont comply with U.S. Department of Labor guidelines from its career-services site. She is also currently lobbying members of Congress to extend civil rights protections to unpaid interns.

Loureiro founded the Brussels Interns NGO （B！ngo） to promote quality internships. “Civil society and the private sector are mobilizing to change the situation，” he said.

Pierre-Julien Bosser， who did four internships over two years， founded InternsGoPro with two other former interns to encourage companies to offer meaningful paid internships by providing certifications for those that do.

“Companies now know that unpaid internships equal bad press， so what they do is they pay them a little， say， 200 euros （$228） a month， and in the end the young people suffer from the same economic insecurity，” he said.

Perlin said in an email that the rise of the intern economy wont be halted， let alone reversed， without something bigger than a better economy. “The only thing that will make a real difference is a major cultural shift， perhaps just starting， that restores the link between a hard days work and a fair wage， including for young people，” he said.

自經(jīng)濟(jì)大衰退以來(lái)，年輕工作者們已飽受經(jīng)濟(jì)困難對(duì)勞動(dòng)力市場(chǎng)的沖擊。

最新的2014年歐洲和美國(guó)25歲以下青年失業(yè)率數(shù)據(jù)顯示，西班牙的失業(yè)率高達(dá)54%，意大利是43%，法國(guó)接近24%，英國(guó)是18%，美國(guó)是12%。

雖然在過(guò)去幾年里，這些數(shù)值在某些情況下有所下降，但持續(xù)的高失業(yè)率讓全球越來(lái)越多的畢業(yè)生把實(shí)習(xí)作為進(jìn)入企業(yè)的敲門磚。在一些情況下，畢業(yè)前后的長(zhǎng)時(shí)間實(shí)習(xí)成為了年輕的專業(yè)人才邁進(jìn)職場(chǎng)的主要方式。但讓一些人擔(dān)憂的是，很多年輕人做完一份實(shí)習(xí)工作又接著做另一份實(shí)習(xí)工作，這種情況在歐洲尤為顯著。他們沒(méi)有穩(wěn)定的全職工作——有時(shí)候甚至拿不到足額的薪水——連續(xù)好幾年都是如此。

即便是在法國(guó)這樣的國(guó)家，幾十年來(lái)，實(shí)習(xí)期也是通往職場(chǎng)的普遍障礙。法國(guó)政府的統(tǒng)計(jì)數(shù)據(jù)顯示，2006至2012年間，實(shí)習(xí)生人數(shù)由60萬(wàn)上升到160萬(wàn)。

無(wú)償工作

更令人為年輕工作者擔(dān)憂的是，這種實(shí)習(xí)工作往往是無(wú)償?shù)模簹W盟2013年的一份報(bào)告顯示，在27個(gè)歐盟成員國(guó)里，有59%的18至35歲的年輕人在最近的一份實(shí)習(xí)工作中沒(méi)有獲得任何經(jīng)濟(jì)補(bǔ)償。

《實(shí)習(xí)國(guó)度》的作者羅斯·佩林認(rèn)為，在過(guò)去的十年里，美國(guó)無(wú)償實(shí)習(xí)的人越來(lái)越多。他估算多達(dá)一半的實(shí)習(xí)生沒(méi)有拿到酬勞，雖然與歐洲不同的是，美國(guó)的實(shí)習(xí)生很多都是在校學(xué)生，實(shí)習(xí)是大學(xué)課程的一部分，或是學(xué)校組織的暑期項(xiàng)目。然而，評(píng)論家認(rèn)為幾乎沒(méi)有辦法能夠真正獲知美國(guó)的無(wú)償實(shí)習(xí)問(wèn)題有多嚴(yán)重。英國(guó)的“你來(lái)統(tǒng)治”民調(diào)機(jī)構(gòu)2014年的民意調(diào)查顯示，英國(guó)實(shí)習(xí)生的境況并不比美國(guó)的樂(lè)觀。英國(guó)大約有26%的公司要么沒(méi)有支付任何報(bào)酬給實(shí)習(xí)生們，要么只支付補(bǔ)貼，一般是500英鎊左右（744美元）。

占盡便宜

美國(guó)和整個(gè)歐洲的年輕人都愈發(fā)地為這種現(xiàn)狀感到灰心喪氣。

克里斯蒂娜·伊斯納迪還是紐約大學(xué)的一名學(xué)生時(shí)，為了修夠?qū)W分，做過(guò)四份無(wú)償實(shí)習(xí)工作。有一次是在一個(gè)片場(chǎng)的攝影部實(shí)習(xí)，她付了1200美元給學(xué)校才得到這個(gè)職位。而實(shí)際上她的工作跟勤雜工差不多。

她說(shuō)：“這份工作絕對(duì)不需要大學(xué)學(xué)歷;一個(gè)八歲的孩子都能做?！?/p>

佩林關(guān)于實(shí)習(xí)工作的調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn)，美國(guó)超過(guò)75%的大學(xué)生在校期間至少做過(guò)一份實(shí)習(xí)工作。還有傳聞?wù)f，近年來(lái)歐洲有個(gè)普遍現(xiàn)象，畢業(yè)后像畢業(yè)前一樣參加實(shí)習(xí)的大學(xué)生越來(lái)越多，不僅僅是為了賺履歷的頭份工作，往往在畢業(yè)后很久，他們接二連三換的工作都是實(shí)習(xí)。

努諾·洛雷羅的經(jīng)歷就是個(gè)很典型的例子。2008年他帶著國(guó)際關(guān)系專業(yè)的學(xué)位離開(kāi)葡萄牙，前往比利時(shí)布魯塞爾。他在葡萄牙常駐歐盟代表處獲得了一個(gè)無(wú)酬的實(shí)習(xí)崗位，有一次甚至代替一位正式代表參與了多成員國(guó)談判。

“回過(guò)頭來(lái)想一想，我覺(jué)得我本該得到薪水的，但當(dāng)時(shí)為了閱歷我是心甘情愿的?！甭謇琢_說(shuō)。在接下來(lái)三年多的時(shí)間里，他又做了另外六份實(shí)習(xí)工作，其中只有一份是有薪酬的。他說(shuō)：“如今勞動(dòng)力市場(chǎng)上有太多兼具實(shí)力與積極性的年輕人，企業(yè)和非政府組織無(wú)疑是利用了這一現(xiàn)況占盡便宜?！?/p>

推進(jìn)優(yōu)質(zhì)實(shí)習(xí)

一些宣傳團(tuán)體成功地引起了公眾的注意，關(guān)注北美和歐洲實(shí)習(xí)生所面臨的困境。2014年，超過(guò)10個(gè)宣傳團(tuán)體組成了國(guó)際公平實(shí)習(xí)聯(lián)盟，致力幫助各國(guó)不同組織進(jìn)一步提高其行動(dòng)的受關(guān)注度。

2014年，為了改善成千上萬(wàn)實(shí)習(xí)生的工作條件，法國(guó)出臺(tái)了開(kāi)創(chuàng)性的法律，激烈的草根抗?fàn)幮袆?dòng)也隨之達(dá)到了頂峰。出臺(tái)的措施包括給大部分實(shí)習(xí)崗位設(shè)定最長(zhǎng)六個(gè)月的期限，把每月的補(bǔ)貼額度從400歐元（456美元）左右提高到500歐元（570美元）以上。

歐盟也于2014年3月采用了一個(gè)培訓(xùn)生質(zhì)量體系，準(zhǔn)備應(yīng)對(duì)歐洲可疑實(shí)習(xí)崗位增加的問(wèn)題。該體系號(hào)召歐盟成員國(guó)確保他們國(guó)家的法律能保證實(shí)習(xí)工作是“在安全和公平環(huán)境下的高質(zhì)量工作經(jīng)歷”。目標(biāo)是通過(guò)一些措施來(lái)提高實(shí)習(xí)工作的監(jiān)管透明度和質(zhì)量，例如要求實(shí)習(xí)工作須簽訂書(shū)面協(xié)議，來(lái)保障培訓(xùn)內(nèi)容和工作環(huán)境。

展望未來(lái)

年輕人也在抗?fàn)?。目前就職于一家勞?wù)與就業(yè)法律事務(wù)所的紐約大學(xué)畢業(yè)生伊斯納迪于2014年成功請(qǐng)?jiān)讣~約大學(xué)廢止無(wú)償實(shí)習(xí)期。無(wú)償實(shí)習(xí)期與美國(guó)勞工局就業(yè)服務(wù)網(wǎng)站上的指導(dǎo)方針相抵觸。目前她還在游說(shuō)國(guó)會(huì)議員擴(kuò)展民權(quán)以保障無(wú)酬實(shí)習(xí)生的權(quán)益。

洛雷羅成立了布魯塞爾實(shí)習(xí)生的非政府組織（名為B！ngo）來(lái)倡導(dǎo)優(yōu)質(zhì)實(shí)習(xí)。他說(shuō)：“民間團(tuán)體和私營(yíng)部門正在動(dòng)員大家改變現(xiàn)狀。”

皮埃爾·于連·博賽在兩年多的時(shí)間里做過(guò)四份實(shí)習(xí)工作，他和另外兩位曾經(jīng)同是實(shí)習(xí)生的朋友一起成立了“實(shí)習(xí)生轉(zhuǎn)正”組織，號(hào)召企業(yè)提供有意義的有償實(shí)習(xí)崗位，并給這樣的企業(yè)頒發(fā)證書(shū)，以資鼓勵(lì)。

博賽說(shuō)：“企業(yè)現(xiàn)在知道無(wú)酬實(shí)習(xí)是嚴(yán)重的壓迫，所以他們轉(zhuǎn)而支付一點(diǎn)點(diǎn)報(bào)酬，比如一個(gè)月200歐元（228美元），最終年輕人還是一樣遭受經(jīng)濟(jì)無(wú)保障之苦?！?/p>

佩林在郵件里說(shuō)到，這股“實(shí)習(xí)生經(jīng)濟(jì)”的熱潮不會(huì)停止，更不可能逆轉(zhuǎn)過(guò)來(lái)，除非有比經(jīng)濟(jì)好轉(zhuǎn)更大的變革發(fā)生。他說(shuō)：“唯有一次重大的文化變遷才能帶來(lái)真正的改變，才能恢復(fù)辛苦的工作和公平的薪水之間的關(guān)聯(lián)，對(duì)象包括初入職場(chǎng)的年輕人。這次變遷大概才剛剛開(kāi)始?！?/p>