Sales at Citigroup's securities-and-banking unit, which includes trading and investment banking, fell 18%, to $11.5 billion. Regional consumer banking revenue stayed flat at $16.2 billion, and the bank's transaction-services unit increased revenue 6%, to $5.2 billion.

Citigroup previously had announced plans to add branches outside the U.S. and more than double staff in China to 12,000 as Pandit, 54, sought to boost the bank's presence in emerging markets. The company has also hired about 40 managing directors this year for its investment-banking unit.

"We've added talent in businesses and regions that are targeted for growth," Bell says.

But Pandit had eliminated more than 100,000 workers from the bank's payroll since becoming CEO in December 2007, through layoffs and sales of distressed assets and businesses in Citi Holdings, according to Bloomberg.