President Donald Trump on Monday nominated Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling to be the permanent secretary of the Department of Labor (DOL).
“Throughout his career, Keith has proven his dedication to delivering strong results for the Hardworking People of our Country, and I know he will do an incredible job in his new role,” Trump posted on social media.
During his tenure, Sonderling has visited several community colleges to highlight their efforts to build a skilled workforce, including Luzerne County Community College (Pennsylvania), Rappahannock Community College (Virginia), Pitt Community College (North Carolina) and a community college in New Hampshire. He was scheduled to go to Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City last week, but the visit was postponed. During the tours of the colleges, Sonderling also touted the new Workforce Pell program and apprenticeships, two workforce development priorities for the Trump administration.
At a hearing in May with Senate appropriators regarding the president’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2027, Sonderling pitched to significantly cut DOL’s funding while seeking to expand registered apprenticeships and consolidate funding for many workforce development programs into block grants to states.
Sonderling has served as the temporary head of the department since April, when former Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer departed amid questions about her conduct. He previously was DOL’s deputy secretary of labor since March 2025.
To become secretary, Sonderling has to receive approval from the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and then the full Senate.
During Trump’s second term, in addition to his Labor Department post, Sonderling has served as acting director of U.S. Office of Government Ethics and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Prior to becoming deputy secretary, Sonderling was the commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from 2020 to 2024. Previously, he served at DOL as the acting and deputy administrator of the department’s Wage and Hour Division from 2017 to 2020.
Before entering government, Sonderling worked in private law, counseling employers and litigating labor and employment disputes, according to DOL.
