NEW YORK — A study released Monday by The Associated Press finds that paychecks protected by payroll protection programs could help protect more than 9.3 million Americans from the loss of jobs and benefits due to the recession.

The study was released as the Obama administration began negotiations with the U.S. Congress on a new $1.2 trillion spending package.

The report finds that a program in which workers pay a penalty to their employers in the form of a paycheck to cover payroll protection is one way to help protect workers.

The paychecks would be deposited in a separate account that would allow workers to withdraw it if they wanted to withdraw their wages.

The study by the Center for Responsive Politics found that workers pay the full amount of their wages when they withdraw the funds, not just the balance.

If the workers want to withdraw the money, they would have to pay the higher amount.

The paychecks could be used by a worker to pay off their student loans, their car loans, medical bills, mortgages, insurance premiums or other debts.

They could also be used to cover unpaid rent or mortgage interest.

To get the checks, workers would have a three-month window to get their paycheck in before they had to pay taxes or other fees to pay for the benefit.

The Associated Press obtained a copy of the study from the Department of Labor.