The United States deputy secretary of labor is the second-highest-ranking official in the United States Department of Labor. In the United States federal government, the deputy secretary oversees the day-to-day operation of the Department of Labor, and may act as secretary of labor during the absence of the secretary. The deputy secretary is appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. The position is currently vacant, most recently held by Keith Sonderling who was confirmed on March 13, 2025 to the position. However, he was confirmed to be secretary of labor on September 30, 2026, and officially left the position on October 2, 2026.
List of deputy secretaries of labor The following is a list of deputy secretaries of labor or earlier equivalent positions. #ImageNameTermAssistant secretary (1913–1925)1Louis F. Post1913–19212Edward J. Henning 1921–1925First assistant secretary (1925–1946)3Robe C. White 1925–19334Edward F. McGrady 1933–19375Charles V. McLaughlin 1938–19416Daniel W. Tracy 1941–1946–John W. Gibson (Acting) 1946Under secretary (1946–1986)7Keen Johnson 1946–19478David A. Morse 1947–19489Michael J. Galvin 1949–195310Lloyd A. Mashburn 195311Arthur Larson 1954–195612James T. O'Connell 1957–196113W. Willard Wirtz 1961–196214John F. Henning 1962–196715James J. Reynolds 1967–196916James D. Hodgson 1969–197017Laurence Silberman 1970–197318Richard F. Schubert 1973–197519Robert O. Aders 1975–197620Michael Moskow 1976–197721Robert J. Brown 1977–198022John N. Gentry 1980–1981–Vacant 1981–198223Malcolm R. Lovell, Jr. 1982–1983–Vacant 1983–198424Ford B. Ford 1984–1986Deputy secretary (since 1986)25Dennis E. Whitfield 1986–198926Roderick DeArment 1989–199227Delbert L. Spurlock, Jr. 1992–199328Thomas P. Glynn 1993–1996–Cynthia A. Metzler (Acting) 1996–1997–Vacant1997–199829Kathryn O. Higgins 1998–200030Edward B. Montgomery 2000–200131D. Cameron Findlay 2001–200332Steven J. Law 2003–200733Howard M. Radzely 2007–200934Seth Harris 2009–2014–M. Patricia Smith 201435Chris Lu 2014–201736Patrick Pizzella 2018–202137Julie Su 2021–202538Keith Sonderling 2025–2026
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