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Keith Sonderling takes charge of the US Labor Department after Senate confirmation, with AI’s impact on jobs, worker training and workforce data among the key issues ahead
The US Senate has confirmed Keith Sonderling as the next Secretary of Labor, giving President Donald Trump a permanent head for the Department of Labor after Sonderling served as acting secretary since April.
The Senate voted 47-41 to confirm Sonderling. The vote came as lawmakers prepared to leave Washington to campaign ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
Sonderling has held several positions at the Labor Department and was previously a Republican member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He served as deputy secretary during Trump’s second term before becoming acting secretary in April.
His confirmation comes at a time when the Labor Department is dealing with questions around artificial intelligence, worker training, employment data and the changing nature of jobs in the US.
What Sonderling said about AI and jobs
Sonderling discussed the impact of AI on American workers during his confirmation hearing in July.
He said the Labor Department was collecting information from companies and unions about how they were using AI. The Bureau of Labor Statistics would review the information, with the department looking to use the data to help direct job-training money to states.
Sonderling also pushed back against what he described as a “gloom and doom narrative” around AI and employment.
More from Business“What we believe we’re going to see is that AI-impacted jobs can potentially make you more productive. It can make your workplaces safer, but we can’t get that information yet,” he told senators.
The department has since moved to gather more information directly from technology companies. In August, Sonderling said companies including OpenAI, Google, Meta and Amazon were sharing data with the Labor Department on AI use and hiring. The information is intended to supplement traditional government employment data.
In a 2025 Labor Department article, Sonderling had also described AI as an opportunity for workers, saying it could help create high-paying jobs and improve productivity if workers were equipped with the right skills.
Worker training to be a key focus
Sonderling’s comments suggest that worker training will be an important part of the department’s approach to AI.
The Labor Department has been working on initiatives aimed at expanding workforce training and helping workers acquire skills for changing industries. In September, the department announced $65 million in grants to seven states to develop short-term programmes that can qualify for Workforce Pell funding.
During his confirmation hearing, Sonderling said better information about AI adoption could help the government determine where training resources are needed.
His approach places greater emphasis on measuring how AI is being used in workplaces rather than relying only on forecasts about potential job losses.
What he said about jobs and the economy
Sonderling has also used his position to highlight employment growth under the Trump administration.
After the August jobs report, he said the US economy had added 162,000 jobs during the month and 643,000 jobs during 2026 up to that point. He also said the administration had surpassed 1 million new private-sector jobs.
Republican senators supporting his nomination pointed to his experience and his focus on employment and workforce development.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Republican chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said he was confident Sonderling would protect workers, help businesses create jobs and help workers navigate AI-driven changes in the workforce.
Why Democrats opposed his confirmation
Democrats voted against Sonderling’s confirmation, raising concerns over several Trump administration labour policies.
During the July confirmation hearing, Sen. Patty Murray criticised Sonderling over the administration’s approach to overtime protections, unions and worker rights. Democrats also questioned the Labor Department’s role in managing some Department of Education grant programmes as the Trump administration works to reduce the role of the Education Department.
Sonderling defended the department’s role in administering the programmes, saying Labor was helping with the distribution of funding while Education Department officials remained involved in policy decisions.
His confirmation now formally ends the period in which the Labor Department was led by an acting secretary.
