Out of the many cliches I have heard throughout my life, “there’s no such thing as a free lunch” has been one that rings true in just about every situation it pertains to. Whether taken literally or figuratively, I have seen time and time again that there is always some catch that comes with a simple pleasure or exciting opportunity.

Recently, though, I realized one scenario in which someone is getting a “free lunch”: companies that employ unpaid interns.

In and of itself, the concept of an internship is a fairly recent one. However, within the last few decades, the importance of internships when it comes to a job candidate’s viability has grown exponentially. In past times, a college degree would often serve as the expectation and main requirement for a position. Now, many industries hold one thing above the still-important college degree: experience.

It’s the one thing everyone wants but also something that can be near impossible to find. More and more companies have started to see just how coveted this elusive experience is and have adjusted their policies accordingly. However, they treat these situations a bit differently from how a company would normally treat other in-demand goods. In basic economics courses, you learn that the higher a product’s demand, the higher its price. In the case of internship, higher demand can typically lead to a lower wage for workers.

On principle, this goes against the American dream ideal that our country rests upon.

Part of this American dream has always been that if you work hard, you will get paid for your efforts with prosperity sure to follow. In most cases, this system functions as an exchange of monetary compensation from an employer for effort and hours from employees. The rise of unpaid internships shows a shift from this system to a labor economy in which experience is the currency of choice.

Many people view this new system as a reality of the modern world. Those who decide to make this trade-off think it’s worth it in the long run and accept that it may just be part of a new American dream. In many ways, these systems are similar as almost anyone is able to be hired as long as they possess the desired traits and qualifications needed for the given job.

The main difference does not lie with the ability to become employed, though. Instead, it lies with the fact that many people cannot realistically accept an internship that provides them with no living wage. This does not affect those of us lucky enough to have financially stable parents who can pay for transportation costs and other living expenses incurred during a stint as an unpaid intern. The reality is that not everyone is this fortunate. In fact, a large majority of America cannot intern for free, even knowing it will “pay off in the long run.” For these people, long-term success does not pay today’s bills.

Equal-opportunity employment has been a major issue in this country for some time. Many different pieces of legislation have been passed to promote fair hiring practices. As such, companies cannot discriminate based on factors such as age, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or marital status, among many others depending on the jurisdiction. 

In the past, many of these factors allowed people to be unfairly overlooked for employment. The fact that they can no longer determine hiring decisions is admirable. However, one criterion is missing: socioeconomic status. 

While a person’s economic standing would often be unknown by potential employers and not a factor in employment decisions, its importance should be noted as it pertains to opportunity. You see, for those who cannot afford to intern for free, an internship may not be a realistic opportunity.

As this system becomes more prevalent with America’s companies, inequality will continue to manifest itself. The result will likely be an even wider gap between the haves and have-nots and even fewer opportunities to laterally mobilize in the American economy.

I wonder if these companies would be able to enjoy that free lunch if they had that in mind.

John is a junior in Media. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JohnBuysse.