Glassdoor: Internship offerings tank as employers focus on jobs

Dive Brief:

Internship offerings in industries such as travel and tourism were "severely" impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Glassdoor, an online job board and employer review website. Since March 9, there has been a greater decline in internship postings by companies than job opportunities, Glassdoor said in an April 28 report.
As of April 13, approximately 30,806 internship opportunities were posted on the platform — a 52% decline over the past month. In comparison, job openings dropped to 4.8 million as of April 6, a 20.5% decline. Internship hiring on the platform in April 2020 decreased by 39% compared to April 2019, according to Glassdoor.
Internship openings in the travel and tourism industry showed the greatest decrease — 92%. Industries with the most internship openings in accounting and legal, manufacturing, computer software and hardware, retail and healthcare. "While all industries have experienced declines since the coronavirus crisis, select industries are continuing to hire for thousands of intern positions," according to Glassdoor.

Dive Insight:

Many who secured internships prior to the COVID-19 crisis are receiving cancellation notices. College Reaction conducted a survey of 822 students April 10 to April 12. Three-quarters of respondents said the internships or post-graduate jobs they secured had been canceled, moved remote or delayed. The survey also revealed that 71% said they were concerned about job and internship opportunities and the majority — 90% — were at least moderately concerned about the pandemic's impact on the U.S. economy and employment opportunities.

In March, The Walt Disney Company closed its U.S. theme parks, canceling the internships of more than 2,200 students and recent graduates, reported the Los Angeles Times. The National Institute of Health and Yelp canceled their upcoming internships as well, according to an HR Dive report. And many employers choosing to continue with internship programs amid the COVID-19 crisis are offering a remote experience.

Prior to the pandemic, Microsoft was prepared to host more than 4,000 students on its campuses but the company pivoted to a virtual internship program. "Adversity often creates some of the biggest leaps in innovation, and I predict that this year’s intern class will not only help us shape our virtual experience, they will have a lasting influence on our program for years to come," Kathleen Hogan, executive vice president and chief people officer, said in an April 6 blog post.

"The coronavirus pandemic has had a near-instant impact on U.S. internship hiring," Glassdoor said; however, as "internships become more virtual, a possibility for internship seekers is to explore opportunities in different locations than they initially planned."