Most California state government offices will be closed Friday, the first of three monthly furlough days intended to save the state money.
The shutdowns are part of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's order to give state employees three days off a month without pay, effectively reducing their income about 14 percent.
The governor ordered workers to take two days off a month without pay in February. He recently expanded the furlough after lawmakers failed to cut employees' pay by an additional 5 percent.
California needs to conserve cash because its budget is $26.3 billion out of balance.
The two-day-a-month closures will save the state $1.3 billion between February and July 2010. The third furlough day will save another $425 million in the current fiscal year.
