Electronics maker Hitachi Ltd. posted the worst annual loss for a Japanese manufacturer and doesn't expect the global economy to recover until next year at the earliest.

Battered by plummeting demand for cars and gadgets, Hitachi, which produces everything from home appliances to medical equipment, said Tuesday it booked a net loss of ¥787.3 billion for the fiscal year through March. That compares with last year's ¥58.1 billion loss.

Annual revenue tumbled 11 percent to ¥10 trillion. But it managed an operating profit — which reflects its core business — of ¥127 billion for the year.