>The real solution imo is to spread out the jobs to other areas so that these major urban areas aren't the only places people have to move to find work.

While that definitely works whenever doable, I'd say investing in much better infrastructure to reduce commuting time and complexity is the other big factor. Living far away from the workplace isn't a biggie if I can take for example a train and be there in a reasonable amount of time. For sure an expensive solution but a solution that will pay off nevertheless.