Sonderling Confirmed as Secretary of Labor

The United States Senate confirmed Keith Sonderling as secretary of Labor by a 47-41 vote on Sept. 30. Sonderling had been serving as acting secretary since April.

Sonderling began his career in government in 2017 with the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division. In his three years with the Division he served in several capacities, including acting administrator, deputy administrator, and senior policy advisor. President Trump appointed Sonderling to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in September 2020, where he remained through August 2024. Following the 2024 presidential election, Sonderling led the Department of Labor’s transition team for the incoming administration.

In January 2025, Trump appointed Sonderling deputy secretary of Labor. In this role, Sonderling oversaw operations, strategic planning, budgeting, information technology, and human resources for the department. Trump designated Sonderling acting secretary of Labor in April 2026 following the resignation of Lori Chavez-DeRemer and nominated him as permanent secretary in July 2026. That month his nomination was approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.

In addition to secretary of Labor, Sonderling is concurrently serving as acting director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, which oversees the ethics program for the executive branch of the federal government.

Prior to his government service, Sonderling was a partner at Gunster, a Florida law firm. He holds a B.S. from the University of Florida and a J.D. from Nova Southeastern University.

More information is available from the Labor Department website.