Bullshit. Oklahoma has a 4% unemployment rate and a very low cost of living. Some other states are similar. Anyone who's willing to show up and work hard can survive there.
The contractor who just renovated my house in Colorado is actively looking for a low-skill, high-effort worker for $35/hour.
The mason who did some stone work for me is looking for an apprentice and will pay $25/hour.
The electrician in my area is moving away, leaving a huge gap in the market. He earns well north of $200k/year.
The jobs are out there.
The jobs are out there AND DO NOT PAY ENOUGH TO LIVE IN THE AREAS THEY ARE IN.
And before some genius comes in and says "Well don't live in those expensive cities then", those expensive cities still want burgers and stocked store shelves and everything else, they just don't want to pay people enough to live off of.