WASHINGTON – U.S. Acting Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling issued the following statement regarding the April 2026 Employment Situation Report:

“Despite doom-and-gloom rhetoric from pundits and economists, America’s economic comeback is clearly accelerating under President Trump, with job growth now shattering expectations two months in a row. 115,000 jobs were added in April, doubling expectations and proving 94% of Bloomberg economists wrong. The unemployment rate remained steady and total private sector job growth under this Administration now stands at more than 700,000 new jobs.

“Thanks to President Trump’s Working Families Tax Cuts, job creators were clearly feeling empowered this tax season and are investing in American workers. Our skilled workforce is seeing the benefits, with continued job growth in construction and a strong 5.2% year-over-year increase in manufacturing weekly earnings.

“The President is bringing workers off the sidelines – growing the private sector while continuing to right-size the federal government, saving taxpayers billions of dollars per year. The Department of Labor remains fully committed to advancing commonsense workforce development policies to prepare American workers for the good-paying, in-demand jobs being created by President Trump’s America First policies.”

WASHINGTON – Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling today announced key senior leadership roles within the Office of the Secretary to support the department’s ongoing work advancing President Trump’s agenda and delivering results for American workers, employers, and retirees. 

“I’m proud to have a strong, experienced team in place to continue driving the department’s mission forward,” said Acting Secretary Sonderling. “Each of these individuals brings a deep understanding of the department’s work and a demonstrated ability to execute at a high level. Collectively, we are well-positioned to build on our progress and continue delivering meaningful results for American workers and businesses across the nation.”

The following individuals will serve in senior roles within the Office of the Secretary under Acting Secretary Keith Sonderling:

Courtney Walter, Chief of Staff – Walter previously served as senior counselor to the Secretary and served in various capacities at the department during the first Trump Administration, including as Senior Counsel in the Office of the Solicitor. Walter previously worked in the private sector, focusing on labor and employment matters. Walter has a bachelor’s degree from Penn State and a law degree from the Florida International University College of Law, where she graduated as valedictorian. Following law school, she spent two years clerking for the Honorable Ursula Ungaro in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

Garrett Buttrey, Deputy Chief of Staff – Buttrey previously served as chief of staff and senior policy advisor for the department’s Wage and Hour Division where he provided counsel to Wage and Hour Administrator Andrew Rogers on policy development, regulatory guidance, enforcement, and other matters before the agency. Before joining the Trump Administration in 2025, Buttrey served as senior policy counsel and chief counsel for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions where he provided strategic counsel to the chairman as he developed the committee’s labor policy agenda, conducted oversight, and managed nominations. Buttrey began his career in the private sector as a litigator representing clients in labor and employment matters, including wage and hour issues, employment discrimination litigation, collective bargaining, and grievance arbitration. He was also an adjunct professor at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee and a law degree from George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School.

Cynthia McKnight, Deputy Chief of Staff – McKnight previously served as chief of staff and senior counselor to the Deputy Secretary of Labor. She has extensive labor and employment experience, having worked at multiple federal agencies, including the Department of Justice, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, National Labor Relations Board, Federal Labor Relations Authority, and Office of Congressional Workplace Rights. Before entering public service, McKnight worked in the private sector focusing on corporate and securities matters. She began her career clerking for Judge David B. Sentelle of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Miami University and a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

Joseph Burgese, Senior Advisor -- Burgese previously served in the department as policy advisor for the Wage and Hour Division and chief of staff in the Office of Public Liaison, where he served as the primary contact to outside stakeholders. Prior to being appointed in the Trump Administration, he worked in the private sector where he focused on business development and financial strategy. He has also worked on gubernatorial, congressional, and senate campaigns throughout Pennsylvania, where he advised on strategy implementation, and is an alum of Turning Point USA. Burgese has a bachelor’s degree from Florida Atlantic University and earned his MBA from Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business, where he graduated summa cum laude.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer issued the following statement regarding the March 2026 Employment Situation Report:

“One year since Liberation Day, America’s economic comeback is on full display: Job growth smashed expectations, with a remarkable 178,000 jobs added in March. President Trump’s economic policies are working as planned, and Americans are feeling the benefits as we reindustrialize our nation after years of decline under the previous administration.

“Through the Working Families Tax Cuts, historic private investments, and fair trade policies, President Trump is putting more money in Americans’ pockets and empowering job creators. This is evident through strong growth in construction jobs, particularly factory construction, and manufacturing having its first positive quarter in several years – proving that we are bringing production back to the United States.

“Thanks to President Trump’s America First agenda, more than 600,000 private-sector jobs have been created since he took office, and wage growth remains strong. American workers are winning again, and the Golden Age of America is upon us.”

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Science Foundation to advance workforce development efforts related to artificial intelligence. 

The MOU solidifies the department’s formal partnership with the NSF on the TechAccess: AI-Ready America initiative, a newly launched national effort led by NSF to expand access to AI knowledge, tools, and training for American workers and businesses. In addition to the memorandum of understanding, the NSF recently announced it will make available up to $224M in funding for the establishment of up to 56 State/Territory Coordination Hubs to drive AI readiness across the country. 

The TechAccess program and the funding availability represent a collaborative effort between the NSF, the departments of Labor and Agriculture, and the Small Business Administration. 

“The TechAccess initiative will ensure every American worker has the skills, knowledge, and training needed to succeed in an AI-driven economy,” said Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer. “Under President Trump's bold leadership, the Department of Labor is proud to partner with NSF to advance AI readiness, empower American businesses to innovate with AI, and create opportunities that will benefit all Americans.”

“This partnership demonstrates the Trump Administration’s unified and innovative approach to supporting American workers in the age of AI,” said Deputy Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling. “Through the TechAccess Initiative, the Department of Labor will maximize the impact of regional AI readiness efforts by ensuring they are fully integrated into the workforce and education systems.”

“This partnership reflects a shared commitment across the federal government to ensure American workers and businesses are prepared for the opportunities of artificial intelligence,” said Brian Stone, performing the duties of the NSF director. “Through the TechAccess initiative, NSF is proud to work alongside the Department of Labor and our partners to expand access to AI knowledge, strengthen workforce pathways, and support coordinated, nationwide efforts that will help communities across the country succeed in an AI-driven economy.”

The department has committed to advancing the TechAccess program’s impact by connecting its Coordination Hubs to the public workforce and education system, including through networks like American Job Centers, training pathways like Registered Apprenticeships, and initiatives like its AI Literacy Framework and AI Workforce Hub.

The TechAccess initiative and collaboration between the agencies advance the Trump Administration’s commitment to equip American workers with the skills, pathways, and resources to succeed in the age of AI, as outlined in America’s Talent Strategy and the White House’s AI Action Plan.

Under the MOU, the department and the National Science Foundation will:

• Collaborate on initiatives that equip American workers with the knowledge and skills to succeed in an AI-driven economy.
• Support strategies that prepare workers for transitions and advancement opportunities created by AI adoption.
• Conduct research on how AI is transforming labor markets, job requirements, and economic outcomes.

Read the Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Labor and the National Science Foundation. 

Read the TechAccess program funding solicitation. 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the launch of “Make America AI-Ready,” a free artificial intelligence literacy course that will help American workers learn the basics of AI simply by texting “READY” to 20202.

The initiative advances the Trump Administration’s commitment to equip American workers with foundational AI skills needed to succeed in an AI-driven economy, as outlined in America’s Talent Strategy and the White House’s AI Action Plan.

The course is uniquely designed to deliver bite-sized learning content and daily challenges to users entirely over text message. Users can complete the course in seven days by engaging for just 10 minutes a day. The text message-based design is intended to be as accessible as possible to all Americans, including those without a laptop or with limited access to the internet. 

The initiative was developed through a public-private partnership between the Labor Department and education technology company Arist, a participant in the White House’s Pledge to America’s Youth to help advance AI education across the country.

“The ‘Make America AI-Ready’ initiative is designed to ensure every American worker has the chance to learn foundational skills so they can benefit from the opportunities that the AI economy presents,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer. “Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Labor remains committed to putting American workers first by providing them with the skills they need to support themselves and their families.”

“This initiative will help demystify AI for American workers,” said Deputy Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling. “We are seeing AI create new jobs, new levels of productivity, and new forms of entrepreneurship, and we want to make sure all Americans have the skills to share in that prosperity.”

The course engages participants with daily content that directly aligns with the five foundational areas outlined in the Labor Department’s recently-released AI Literacy Framework.

These content areas are: 

• Understand AI Principles: Understanding AI’s core concepts, capabilities, and limitations, creating the foundation for effective use.
• Explore AI Uses: Directly exploring different AI tools and relevant use cases, and how AI can complement human expertise.
• Direct AI Effectively: Understanding how to provide the right context to AI and how to create clear prompts that produce effective outputs.
• Evaluate AI Outposts: Assessing AI-generated results for accuracy, and relevance.
• Use AI Responsibly: Using AI in ethical and secure ways, protecting critical information, and ensuring accountability for outcomes.

The Labor Department designed the course to be the starting point for American workers in their AI journey, and the course concludes by offering participants additional resources to learn more advanced AI skills or pursue AI-related careers, based on their unique goals or interests. 

Phone numbers used to enroll in Make America AI-Ready are used solely for delivering the course and will never be shared with or sold to third parties for marketing or promotional purposes.

Learn more about the Make America AI-Ready initiative at dol.gov/ai-ready.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the launch of a website for its Center for Faith, following President Trump’s executive order creating a White House Faith Office and federal agency Centers for Faith. 

The department’s Center for Faith webpage contains resources for Americans who may have faced religious discrimination in the workplace, as well as information for faith organizations on potential grant opportunities and retirement plans.

“Americans should not face discrimination in the workplace because of their religion. Our new Center for Faith website offers helpful guidance for American workers and faith organizations interested in competing for grants at the Department of Labor,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer. “Thanks to President Trump, Americans’ right to religious freedom is more protected than ever before.”

These new resources follow a recent decision from the department to add language in funding opportunity announcements that encourages faith organizations to apply for discretionary grants open to the public.

This webpage offers materials related to efforts combatting all forms of religious discrimination, including Christian bias and anti-Semitism; additional faith-related policy; contact information; and three original resources:

• An interactive map of the United States, which details religious discrimination protections in each state and includes a listing of the state office overseeing religious discrimination.
• A guide for faith organizations to more easily navigate the federal grant process.
• A guide for faith organizations to navigate retirement benefits for their employees. 

View the department’s Center for Faith webpage. 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer completed her “America at Work” listening tour on Monday with a visit to Tulsa, Oklahoma. One year ago, Secretary Chavez-DeRemer set out to meet with workers and employers in all 50 states and committed to bring their stories back to Washington to shape federal labor policies and practices.

“When I became Labor Secretary, I promised to deliver on President Trump’s mission to put American workers first – and that began by getting out of the Washington bubble and meeting workers where they’re at,” said Secretary Chavez-DeRemer. “Whether it was a carpenters training facility in Colorado, an oyster hatchery in Maryland, a family-owned countertop manufacturer in Minnesota, or a fire academy in Oklahoma – the workers I’ve met with feel supported by the President’s efforts to put America First. The investments that President Trump has made in the workforce are paying off, and his historic Working Families Tax Cuts are delivering results for workers and employers across the country. I look forward to another three years of meeting with American Workers and fighting to put them first in everything we do at the Department of Labor.”

The Secretary stopped in Hawaii last week as her 49th state, meeting with workers from the Dole Plantation, the Culinary Institute of the Pacific, as well as a variety of other industries. Beginning at Moanalua High School, she joined the Culinary Institute as they served breakfast to students, showcasing their efforts to empower local businesses and farms. She later enjoyed hands-on participation in planting and harvesting pineapple on the 700-acre Dole Plantation while learning from employees with multiple decades of experience.

The visit also included remarks at the Hawaii Workforce Development Council’s very first Internship Summit, followed by an award ceremony celebrating interns and internship programs across the Hawaiian Islands. Secretary Chavez-DeRemer presented the intern of the year with an award for her hard work and encouraged attendees to make the most of every opportunity.

Wrapping up her listening tour in Oklahoma, the Secretary visited an American Airlines maintenance facility and the Fire Academy in Tulsa. American Airlines’ Tulsa base is the world's largest commercial aviation maintenance facility. Along with company executives, Secretary Chavez-DeRemer walked the grounds, engaged with workers, and observed how new innovations are making aviation more reliable and safer for workers and customers alike. At the fire station, the Secretary interacted with firefighters and operated some of their drone technologies. She also met with and encouraged apprentices who will be graduating from their training at the end of the month. 

The Secretary launched her listening tour last year in Northeastern Pennsylvania with a roundtable discussion hosted by local union leaders. 

Throughout her many visits, Secretary Chavez-DeRemer has achieved her goals to:

• Foster partnerships between businesses, unions, and educators to create a stronger workforce pipeline.
• Strengthen pathways to good-paying, sustainable jobs across U.S. industries.
• Identify ways to improve workforce development and enhance economic prosperity.
• Promote skills training, apprenticeships, and career education that meet modern workforce needs.
• Cut red tape stifling innovation or job growth while protecting workers’ rights.
• Support federal labor policies that empower both workers and job creators.
• Champion Made in America jobs and the industries that drive them.
• Highlight best practices from the communities getting it right by showcasing America at Work.
• Above all, put American workers first.

To see highlights from the Secretary’s 50-state America at Work tour, click here. 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer issued the following statement regarding the February 2026 Employment Situation Report:

“While record-breaking strikes and bad winter weather dragged down February nonfarm employment, the unemployment rate held steady, and there are several positive signs for our economy that continue to show American workers are recovering from the mess left behind by Biden. 

“President Trump has successfully reignited wage growth, which continued to accelerate in February – rising 3.8 percent year over year. Factory workers’ wages in particular have improved from a $830 loss to an impressive $2,400 gain under the Trump Administration. Additionally, while federal employment has hit its lowest level on record, private sector job growth rose by half a million during the President’s first year in office and 60,000 jobs have been created already this year. 

“As wages continue to outpace inflation, and as the Working Families Tax Cuts help employers and job creators keep even more of their hard-earned money, I’m optimistic that job growth will continue as we undo the Biden-era catastrophe of soaring prices and stagnant wages.”

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced steps it will take to address fraud and improper payment concerns related to California’s Unemployment Insurance program. 

In a letter to California’s Employment Development Department, the Labor Department cited the state’s poor performance in key areas, including an increasing improper payment rate, insufficient timeliness of payments, and the accuracy and quality of the state’s data – quality that matters for accountability, eligibility of participants, and responsible use of taxpayer and employer dollars. 

In addition to performance concerns, California also has a depleted UI trust fund. The unemployment trust fund holds state-collected payroll taxes used strictly to pay the state portion of unemployment benefits. California currently carries $21 billion in borrowed funds from the federal government to keep the state unemployment system afloat. The Labor Department previously announced that, because of this continued debt, California employers are now subject to increased UI taxes to repay the outstanding loan balance to the federal government.

“Financial issues and potential fraud in California’s unemployment insurance program will be fully examined. The previous administration turned a blind eye toward failing Labor programs: This ends now,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer. “Immediately, we are engaging a specialized strike team to uncover any potential fraud or abuse and quickly moving to protect the American worker and taxpayers. I look forward to restoring the California UI program’s integrity and financial health.” 

The California state auditor has also identified the state’s UI program as high-risk. The auditor noted that inadequate internal controls failed to prevent suspected fraud during fiscal years 2019-20 and 2020-21, allowing the payment of more than $30 billion in potentially fraudulent claims.

The UI strike team will be comprised of specialists from the department’s national and regional offices.

WASHINGTON –  U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer concluded a four-state swing on her “America at Work” listening tour yesterday, where she met with engineers, farmers, and manufacturers to learn more about their unique experiences in the labor force.

“President Trump has secured historic investments to revitalize critical industries and grow our workforce, and I’m committed to ensuring each and every wage earner has the skills they need to immediately fill the thousands of mortgage-paying jobs being created by his America First policies,” said Secretary Chavez-DeRemer. “As I near the end of my America at Work listening tour, hearing directly from workers on the ground has given me valuable insight into steps the Department of Labor can take to better support American Workers, and I look forward to doubling down on our efforts to provide hardworking men and women with the resources they need to succeed.”

Texas

Secretary Chavez-DeRemer began this four-state swing with a visit to Watson Drill Rigs in Fort Worth. As a leader in the drilled shaft industry, Watson provided the Secretary with a hands-on demonstration in operating drill rigs. The family-owned company shared their expertise and feedback, lauding the administration’s push to register more apprentices nationwide. Watson detailed how they have been actively seeking new ways to connect with students early in their careers to expose them to opportunities in the industry that do not require a college degree.

Mississippi 

Joining the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation, Secretary Chavez-DeRemer participated in a roundtable discussion about challenges and opportunities in the agricultural industry. The Secretary shared more information about how the Labor Department is working on their behalf to streamline processes and expand work opportunities for their industry. The Farm Bureau briefed her on their policy efforts at the local, state, national, and international levels to ensure farmers, producers, and other key players are supported.

Alabama 

Secretary Chavez-DeRemer then traveled to Huntsville for a walking tour of The Boeing Company’s Jetplex campus, including their Patriot Advanced Capability-3 seeker missile and circuit factories. She was joined by Rep. Dale Strong, who welcomed her to the “Rocket City.”

For more than 60 years, Boeing has been a vital partner in crafting the nation’s space and defense programs. The Secretary and Rep. Strong were able to engage with the technicians and engineers whose work greatly contributes to U.S. national security, learning more about the aerospace industry and its labor needs.

The visit concluded in Boeing’s Huntsville Electronics Center of Excellence. The Secretary spoke with electrical engineers and technicians who manufacture, maintain, and modify circuit boards, even trying her hand at a mock circuit card assembly. The staff reinforced her emphasis on early skills training for those who are about to enter the workforce.

Arkansas

Wrapping up her four-state swing, Secretary Chavez-DeRemer joined L3Harris Technologies Inc. in Camden. 

The company’s leadership and employees detailed their work, which helps counter evolving threats in the defense and commercial sectors. The Secretary thanked them for their tireless efforts to support the nation’s warfighters and assured them she would relay their feedback to President Trump. 

Learn more about Secretary Chavez-DeRemer’s America at Work listening tour.