California’s Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will lay off as many as 10,000 state workers if lawmakers fail to pass a plan to close California’s nearly $42-billion deficit by the end of the week.

Schwarzenegger’s press secretary, Aaron McLear, said the administration will send out pink slips Friday unless a deal is made.

The layoff process generally takes about six months for state employees, due to union rules and other legal considerations,

About 20,000 workers could receive layoff notices, even though only half as many positions would ultimately be eliminated. Many of the job eliminations would happen with layoffs, but some could take place through attrition.

The extra notices must be sent because the administration might not be able to legally lay off some of the workers who get them; other employees would be moved into other state jobs.

The layoffs would affect mostly workers with the least seniority.

The layoff threat comes as the governor is forcing most state workers to take off two Fridays per month without pay, the equivalent of a 9% pay cut. The first mandatory day off for state workers was last Friday.