Bridging the skills gap in recruitment: A RAG-based LLM framework for cybersecurity job advertisement analysis

Abstract

With the increasing frequency and sophistication of cyberattacks, cybersecurity has become a strategic priority, creating an urgent demand for a skilled workforce. Online job ads in cyberspace are a rich source of information related to the changing dynamics of labor markets, sought-after skills, and employer expectations. However, available methods for extracting relevant information from job advertisements, including for cybersecurity careers, have thus far relied on either manual or semi-automated approaches that, in general, are not scalable, are prone to error, and require prior knowledge and expertise in natural language processing (NLP). This study presents a new, fully automated framework for cybersecurity labor-market analysis with potential for application in other knowledge-intensive industries. The fundamental innovation is the use of retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), powered by large language models (GPT-3.5, GPT-4.1, and Meta Llama 3) to turn unstructured job postings into a structured and analyzable format. This methodology is applied to real job postings from LinkedIn, Indeed, and Rekrute, with a particular focus on Morocco’s cybersecurity sector. From a balanced dataset of 27,360 job advertisements, this study analyzes 1681 cybersecurity roles. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach: GPT-4.1, used as the master evaluator, achieves the highest scores across the six metrics: 96.276% (Correctness), 100% (Completeness), 99.952% (Relevance), 100% (Format Adherence), 99.762% (Language Consistency), and 99.881% (Clarity). Moreover, this study shows that most job postings target mid-level candidates with three or more years of experience and advanced degrees, primarily master’s or engineering degrees. CISSP is the most sought-after certification. By automating and scaling the analysis of labor market data, this research contributes to a broader societal objective of strengthening the cybersecurity workforce and fostering secure digital societies.