President-elect Donald Trump announced late Tuesday his intention to nominate Keith Sonderling as deputy labor secretary, the second-highest position at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Sonderling, a former commissioner and vice chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), previously served as acting administrator and deputy administrator of the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) during Trump’s first term.
Sonderling’s tenure as EEOC commissioner, which ended in August, followed his Senate confirmation in September 2020 by a 52-41 vote. During his time at the WHD, Sonderling played a pivotal role in addressing wage issues, including authoring opinion letters and launching the Payroll Audit Independent Determination (PAID) program, which allowed employers to self-audit and resolve back wages without litigation or penalties.
Trump shared the news on Truth Social just before midnight Tuesday. “I am pleased to announce that Keith Sonderling will serve as the next United States deputy secretary of labor,” Trump wrote. “Keith will work with our great nominee for secretary of labor, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, to put our country and workers FIRST.”
