By Adam Ray
More than 1000 people descended on offices in South Auckland today for supermarket job interviews.
Only 160 jobs are on offer at the new Countdown store, but with the recession biting, many more people are looking for work.
"We've been waiting for a long time and all of us are very tired," says jobseeker Vimbai Murefu.
Many waited for three hours just to get inside the building, only to face more queues.
"Massive turnout," says May Walker. "Even when I was at that end down there by grass… there was more people coming through."
With more than 40 staff and 20 interview rooms operating, Countdown couldn't keep up. The queues got so long that people were been told come back tomorrow or Saturday.
"I arrived at seven o'clock, and we had a number of people waiting in the foyer and actual interviews weren't due to start till nine," says Countdown manager Wayne Dohmen.
Countdown says the huge turnout here reflects their extensive advertising in local media and at other stores, but the huge turnout shows just how many are jobless in the recession.
Manukau has been hard hit. Cuts in the manufacturing and distribution sectors pushed its jobless rate to 9.2 percent, well above the national average of 6.5 percent.
While most applicants are local, some are recent arrivals like Andrew Williams from Britain.
"It's a bit like this in the UK as well."
The new supermarket opens in March. For those lucky enough to get the jobs being offered, the next queues they will face will be at the checkout counter.
3 News