The decline is the ninth straight quarterly drop in the survey conducted by the temporary-employment agency.

It was the biggest quarterly drop since the three months to July 2009, when the recession was coming to a close.

The earnings shortfall was the seventh consecutive quarterly drop for a company whose shareholders have become fed up with its dismal performance.

It was the largest quarterly drop in more than a decade, and the second consecutive quarterly decline.

That would be the first quarterly drop in earnings since 1991.

The decline was the second consecutive quarterly drop and was the biggest since the first quarter of 1986, when profits fell 16.5 percent.

The fall in exports was the fourth successive quarterly drop, making it the longest decline in more than two decades.

Companies put their employees to work for 1.1 percent fewer hours than in the third quarter, the second consecutive quarterly drop in the number of hours.

Sun's competitors continue to show quarterly drops in revenue, he added.

It was the third straight quarterly drop.