You’re out of school for the summer, teen unemployment is almost 25 percent, and you still don’t have a job.

This is a peculiarly American problem. In most of the rest of the world, summer vacations are shorter, leaving less time for work. In France, for instance, vacations are only six weeks, and teens try to stay with relatives outside the city.

In America, summer vacation lasts the better part of three months, and teens work — either to earn spending money, contribute to college tuition payments, or simply because they think that they should have a job.

These days, summer jobs are less plentiful, due to the slow economy and a higher minimum wage. It’s easier for a teenager to be employable at a wage of $5.15, the 2006 minimum, than to find someone to hire you at $7.25, the current minimum wage.

But just because no one has hired you doesn’t mean you can’t earn money. You can start your own business, give it a name and give yourself the title of president. If it grows, you can employ friends and siblings, and keep it going for the rest of the year.

Eva, for instance, who is thinking of spending the summer baby-sitting, could expand to plant watering and pet care, and picking up mail when people go on vacation. One possible name for her company: Leave It to Eva.

What about some other ideas?

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