Ala. governor: 24,000 jobs at stake on budget cuts

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama's governor said the state stands to lose 24,000 jobs if automatic government spending cuts kick in on March 1.

Gov. Robert Bentley said the impact was calculated by the National Governors Association. It forecast the biggest impact in Alabama would be on defense-related jobs. Bentley said the Huntsville area would be the hardest hit.

Bentley's comments Wednesday coincided with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta telling Congress that he may have to shorten the workweek for the vast majority of the Defense Department's 800,000 civilian workers if the automatic budget cuts occur.