1.   Lower earnings have, in turn, forced many stores to be less generous in serving customers.

2.   Since young workers typically earn lower salaries, their greater numbers would be partially offset by their lower earnings.

3.   The company said its earnings would fall short of previous expectations mainly because of lower earnings from its Gulf Printing unit.

4.   The first band of earnings attracting this contribution should run up to what is now called the lower earnings limit.

5.   The lower earnings limit is the same level as the basic retirement pension.

6.   This had been due to lower earnings in Wales and lower employment opportunity, said Mr MacKay.

7.   Already, Motorola Inc. has warned of lower earnings, and Xilinx Inc. and National Semiconductor Corp. reported disappointing results.

8.   Already, some companies that rely on Apple for significant portions of their business have warned of lower earnings.

9.   Although analysts expected lower earnings and revenue because of competition in the long-distance market, the decline outpaced predictions.

10.   Alumax officials also said that Kaiser is unsuitable because it steep debt and lower earnings.