Recovery: Older Interns Signal Gloomy Labor Market

July 2nd, 2011

Via: Reuters:

Elizabeth Romanaux puts a brave face on working as an intern at the age of 55.

A media relations manager until she joined the millions of unemployed Americans two years ago, Romanaux spent the spring building contact lists and fetching lunches as she tried to keep alive her chances of resuming full employment.

“You have to suck it up sometimes and do what a 17-year-old would happily do and be happy about it,” she said of her recent stint with a public relations firm in New Jersey.

Once the domain of high school and college students, internships are more common among older Americans who are struggling to find jobs and keep their skills up to date in the worst labor market in decades.

One Response to “Recovery: Older Interns Signal Gloomy Labor Market”

  1. sapphire says:

    Having read the whole article on the Reuters site I was struck by the comments people left. Basically the ruling class have pitted the older and younger generations against each other. Instead of the working class fighting amongst themselves for the pleasure of working for nothing they should be boycotting these so called internships. That would force the greedy companies to actually pay people for their labour instead taking advantage people’s desperation. Working for nothing devalues your labour. I know from experience. Employers think that because you worked for free your labour couldn’t be any good and they dismiss any volunteer or unpaid internships on your resume as nothing. If you don’t value your labour nobody else will. Even interns should be paid a least minimum wage for their menial labour. To do anything else is unethical.

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