Purpose – This study intends to promote social sustainability by addressing the shifting skill expectations for recent graduates in response to changing employer demands within the industry 5.0 framework. It tries to identify the best combination of socially sustainable skills that will improve graduates' employability and align them with industry expectations. Design/methodology/approach – This study analyses data obtained from 187 industry experts using an exploratory method and Structural Equation Modelling with AMOS software. Confirmatory Factor Analysis is used to validate seven unique socially sustainable components, which are then examined using a route model to determine their relationship to overall graduate employability (OGE). Findings – The study highlights the skills and competences that have a major impact on graduate success in a labour market that is changing quickly by identifying seven important socially sustainable characteristics that influence OGE within Industry 5.0. The results show that employability is positively impacted by analytical, cognitive, leadership, self-efficacy and technology abilities (with an emphasis on social sustainability). Emotional intelligence and decision-making abilities, with a focus on social sustainability, have little influence, nevertheless. Research limitations/implications – By highlighting the complex role of emotional intelligence and decision-making abilities in employability from a social sustainability perspective, this study challenges conventional viewpoints and advances the theoretical understanding of socially sustainable employability within Industry 5.0. Practical implications – The results offer businesses and higher education institutions (HEIs) with practical advice on how to improve social sustainability in the workforce. Employers can modify hiring and personnel management practices to match the competences most valued in Industry 5.0, while HEIs can modify their curricula to concentrate on the most significant employable skills. A workforce that is not only technically skilled but also socially conscious and flexible enough to meet new industrial problems is fostered by this alignment. Originality/value – This research will be highly valuable to the higher education institutes, universities, students, faculty members, government who is making the policies. © 2025 Emerald Publishing Limited
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