In sum, one-time adjustments for the quarter resulted in a $289 million loss.

The company said the major cause of the decrease in fourth-quarter earnings was a one-time adjustment of 20 cents a share for undercosting of shipments.

But more than half of the increase resulted from a statistical rebound from last year's drought, a one-time adjustment.

Ms. Abraham said this was a one-time adjustment resulting from refined questioning in the new survey that shifted many of the jobless people into the 5-to-14-weeks category.

Including charges taken for job cuts in the third quarter and other one-time adjustments, the company earned $1.3 billion in 1998.

These figures reflected an accounting change related to a widespread change in the accounting of good will and other one-time adjustments.

They rose 217 percent, including one-time adjustments.

They fell 11 percent, as the article stated, excluding one-time adjustments.

So far, analysts view the higher funds rate as a one-time adjustment that may be intended to prevent too precipitous a decline in the dollar.

Excluding accounting charges, those gains and other one-time adjustments, the company's operating income rose 6 percent, to $2.4 billion, or 12 cents a share.