Like lots of small-business owners, Lola Gonzalez had to decide to cut down her company's nine-person staff   when the economic recovery began to fail last spring. Unlike other companies, she picked an unlikely employee to lay off  : herself. Her business began to have problems in 2008 after going through her books   One day, her husband, Marcos, told her she had to reduce her payroll by one person. Gonzalez said at a meeting, "I want you all to know that I have to lay somebody off and it's been a very difficult decision. And that person is me." Employees first froze in amazement and then burst into laughter until they realized she was serious. Gonzalez 's employees said they were grateful for her kindness. Her reason was simple. Although she ran the business and her employees did the legwork  , she thought she could find work more easily than her staff. Sure enough, she soon got a job as a social worker for a non-profit organization called Devereux Kids. She enjoys her social-worker job now, but the salary   cut has required some lifestyle changes. She and Marcos no longer eat out daily; they no longer pay for their son's car and mobile phone, and they changed their car to a smaller one to save $300 a month. Her business has picked up a bit recently and Marcos has begun to work part-time at Gonzalez's company. Gonzalez says she has no plan to return to work at her company until the economic situation becomes better, perhaps in a year. Her employees, however, will get Christmas bonuses   this year. How many workers are there in Gonzalez's company at present?
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