Other than for jobs that directly involve driving, why wouldn't a state ID be equally valid for work? It would be very strange in the US to accept a drivers license as identification but not a state ID.
Well, driving or at least the ability to drive is part of a great many jobs. Want to work in a warehouse? Sure, you don't need a DL to drive a forklift but if you were hiring people to drive forklifts wouldn't you see a DL as a plus?
Automation or not, tech boom or not, the ability to drive is still a part of most people's job description. Basically all the trades won't touch someone who cannot drive if called upon. Want to work in resource extraction (forestry, fishing etc) then you need a DL. Want to be a cop? Want to be a grad student studying melting glaciers in northern BC? Want an entry-level job on a film set? These jobs require the ability to navigate a vehicle in non-standard conditions, well beyond what automation promises us anytime soon. Don't limit your options.
Want to go backcountry skiing? Want to go rock climbing? Windsurfing? Kayaking? These things only happen when someone drives the car with all the stuff to some location well off the normal road. We cannot all afford helicopters to haul our stuff from the highway.
A driver's license is one of the most ubiquitous forms of government issued photo identification in the United States. There is no national ID and most people have a driver's license in lieu of any state identification card. It might be equally valid, but is quite less common in practice.
