Editorial: Queues hint at state of market

Given the outlet is closed, it was unusual for fast-food outfit KFC to generate queues in Wanganui this week.
While it would be normal to see people lining up at the counter to make a food order, on Monday about 100 people lined up at the Salvation Army in the hope they would secure a job once the remodelled restaurant is opened in a few weeks' time.
That so many people from different backgrounds would queue for the handful of positions available says something about the state of the employment market. Remember, it was only on Saturday that the Chronicle revealed data from the Wanganui District Council that showed a 40 per cent surge in the number of unemployed in the March quarter compared with the same period the year before.
There are now more than 1000 people registered as without work in our city and, while some of that will be because of seasonal effects, it's fair to assume a good number are casualties of the prolonged recession.
When - and it is a case of when, not if - a recovery will become evident is not certain, but we can take heart from the fact that commodity prices are, in many cases, at record levels. The farming sector looks set to enjoy good returns this year, a welcome relief for the many who have struggled with poor wool and lamb prices as costs have soared ever higher.
This week's Fieldays at Mystery Creek will set a tone for what level of bounce-back we can expect from the rural sector and the likely flow-on into the general economy. In places such as Wanganui, where good economic times are so linked to farming prosperity, this is a vital indicator.
In the meantime, we also take heart at the robust businesses that are finding success despite the trying trading conditions, and look forward to the opportunities the arrival of ultra-fast broadband will undoubtedly bring.
One thing the KFC story also proved was the commitment of some major companies to this city, so much so in the case of Restaurant Brands, the group that runs the KFC franchise, that they have invested in a $1.5 million upgrade in the Wanganui site.
It may be too early to suggest there is light on the horizon, but things may not be as bad as some figures show. We can at least take comfort in the thought that we are by no means as badly off as the poor, suffering souls in Christchurch.