Trump Nominates Sonderling for Secretary of Labor
Takeaways
- Keith Sonderling is currently serving as Acting Secretary of Labor and previously held senior DOL roles, including Deputy Secretary and leadership positions in the Wage and Hour Division.
- Sonderling’s nomination elevates a seasoned policymaker with prior leadership experience at both the Department of Labor and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
- The DOL under Sonderling can be expected to continue a focus on compliance assistance and rulemaking to clarify agency regulations and to ease the regulatory burden on employers.
Related Links
- DOL Resurrects PAID Program: Employers Can Self-Report, Resolve Violations
- We Get AI for Work™: An Exclusive Interview with Keith Sonderling, Former EEOC Commissioner
Article
President Trump announced on June 29 that he will nominate Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling to serve as Secretary of Labor on a permanent basis. Sonderling has been leading the Department of Labor (DOL) in an acting capacity since April, when former Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, appointed in 2025, resigned.
Sonderling was Acting and Deputy Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division during the first Trump Administration, overseeing enforcement of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and other federal workplace laws. In addition to his significant policy background, he brings substantial operational experience, having served as Deputy Secretary of Labor (confirmed by the Senate in March 2025) and as the agency’s Chief Operating Officer, overseeing strategic planning, budgeting and financial management, and other functions. He also was an EEOC Commissioner from 2020 to 2024 and EEOC Vice Chair from 2020 to 2021.
If confirmed, Sonderling is expected to continue to focus agency resources on compliance assistance, such as the Payroll Audit Independent Determination (PAID) program and a robust opinion letter program, clarifying agency rules, reducing the regulatory burden on employers and addressing AI. (Listen to We Get AI for Work™: An Exclusive Interview with Keith Sonderling, Former EEOC Commissioner.)
Sonderling’s nomination is expected to be sent to the Senate for confirmation imminently.
Jackson Lewis will continue to monitor the confirmation process, DOL rulemaking and enforcement initiatives, and policy initiatives. Contact a Jackson Lewis attorney with questions about DOL enforcement or any wage and hour compliance matters.
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