The novel coronavirus epidemic outbreak has posed various challenges for restaurants. Some have had no income as they could not open. Even those that have offered deliveries have seen their profits decline.

To reduce costs many enterprises have adopted an "employee-sharing" strategy. The restaurants that did not open have "shared" their employees with those that provided deliveries. So the former saved costs while helping ensure those offering deliveries had enough staff.

The State Administration for Market Regulation says this employee-sharing strategy has provided 4 million jobs during the epidemic, while meeting the labor force requirement of hundreds of enterprises. The strategy is the best evidence of market participants' creativity.

Many creative solutions have emerged during the epidemic, including distant meetings using smartphones, online business negotiations and electronic signing of contracts, livestreaming classes. Almost every industry found a way to solve its problems.

Although people have been encouraged to stay at home, many enterprises are working as efficiently as before the epidemic.

It might be wise to continue applying these ideas even after the epidemic ends. For example, when fast delivery enterprises need hands in the future, they could tap restaurants' workers; the latter, too, could tap the delivery companies during a labor shortage. That will maximize the labor efficiency of an entire society.