"Jobs" candidate lays off 25% of staff

It's probably not the best headline for a "jobs" candidate. 

Putting people back to work is the central plank in Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Bill Faison's campaign platform. But his law firm is laying off nearly a quarter of its staff.

Faison spokeswoman Jeanne Bonds confirms Faison's medical malpractice firm, Faison and Gillespie, is laying off three full-time and two part-time employees, effective February 1st. The firm's website lists a total of 21 employees. Bonds says "about 14" are still there.

One of the laid-off employees is a lawyer. Others were "intake people," according to Bonds.

Faison is one of the firm's two partners, and was involved in the layoff decision.

According to Bonds, business is down and layoffs are up at a lot of law firms, not just Faison's. 

"This is basically just expanding and contracting with the economy," she said this evening. "He's been in this business for 26 years. He's hired people when the economy was good, and laid off people when it's been bad."

Bonds doesn't see a conflict with Faison's campaign message about jobs. "I think he's right in the middle of what he's saying about jobs," she said. "He knows in his firm he's having to lay people off because he doesn't have enough work."

So far this cycle, Faison has loaned his campaign $500,000 of his personal money.  

Faison's firm also laid off three full-time employees in 2010, though Bonds says one was brought back when business picked up.