President Donald Trump has nominated Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling to serve as the permanent head of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), elevating a longtime labor and employment attorney who has already played a significant role in shaping the administration's workforce policies. The nomination, announced June 29, is subject to Senate confirmation.
Sonderling is no stranger to the department. Before becoming acting secretary in April 2026, he served as deputy secretary and chief operating officer of the DOL. During the first Trump administration, he held senior leadership positions within the Wage and Hour Division, including acting administrator and deputy administrator, where he oversaw enforcement of federal wage-and-hour laws under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). He also served as a Senate-confirmed commissioner and vice chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), giving him extensive experience with both workplace compliance and employment discrimination issues.
If confirmed, Sonderling will oversee one of the federal government's largest regulatory agencies. The Department of Labor employs roughly 17,000 people and administers a wide range of programs affecting employers, employees, unions, retirees, and job seekers. Its responsibilities extend well beyond wage enforcement, touching nearly every aspect of the American workplace.
Among the DOL's most prominent agencies are the Wage and Hour Division (WHD), which enforces the FLSA and other federal wage laws; the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), responsible for workplace safety standards; the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), which oversees employer-sponsored retirement and health benefit plans under ERISA; the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), which enforces equal employment opportunity obligations for many federal contractors; the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA); the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), producer of the nation's closely watched employment and inflation data; and the Employment and Training Administration (ETA), which administers workforce development and unemployment-related programs. Together, these agencies shape regulatory compliance for businesses across virtually every industry.
Sonderling's nomination comes during an active period for the department. Since Sonderling assumed the acting secretary role in April, the DOL has continued emphasizing workforce development, apprenticeship expansion, deregulatory initiatives, and enforcement priorities aligned with the Trump administration's broader labor agenda. The department has also maintained a strong focus on combating unemployment insurance fraud and modernizing state workforce systems, areas that Sonderling has highlighted publicly during his tenure.
The department also continues to navigate several significant regulatory issues affecting employers. OSHA remains active in workplace safety enforcement, while the Wage and Hour Division continues investigations involving overtime, minimum wage, and worker classification. Meanwhile, employers are closely monitoring potential changes to independent contractor guidance, wage-and-hour enforcement priorities, and federal workplace regulations that could emerge under permanent leadership.
For employers, Sonderling's nomination signals continuity rather than a dramatic shift in policy. His extensive background in employment law, prior leadership at both the Department of Labor and EEOC, and experience managing the department's day-to-day operations suggest that many of the administration's current labor priorities are likely to continue should the Senate confirm him.
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