That number is the product of several factors, such as how many people can telecommute. For many workers, telecommuting is simply not feasible. The job may be unsuited to it, or they lack the proper equipment. I estimate that at present only about 16 percent of the entire workforce can actually consider telecommuting. Not everyone who can telecommute even wants to, and not everyone who claims to want to actually does.
Many people desire the professional and social interactions of the office.
Others may be concerned about lack of self-discipline and domestic distractions. Many workers also consider the commute to and from their job a desirable buffer between home and office. Probably no more than 2 percent of the total workforce is telecommuting on any given day. Now the question becomes whether these telecommuters actually have an effect on congestion. We do know that telecommuters drive less.