TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — The Pentagon says New Jersey could face nearly $78 million in Defense Department civilian payroll cuts if automatic government spending cuts kick in March 1.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told Congress on Wednesday that if a budget deal isn’t reached, he may have to shorten the workweek for the “vast majority” of the Defense Department’s 800,000 civilian workers. They’d lose one day of work per week, or 20 percent of their pay, for up to 22 weeks, probably starting in late April.

Pentagon figures show its civilian payroll in New Jersey for the 2012 fiscal year was $917.9 million. That would be reduced to $840.2 million, a drop of $77.7 million, if the cuts occur.

The biggest potential civilian payroll losses would be in Virginia, California, Maryland, Texas and Georgia.

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