WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh will step down from his position, a person with knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday, and media reports said he would take on a new role as head of the National Hockey League (NHL) Players' Association.
Walsh, a former Boston mayor, would be the first of Joe Biden's Cabinet secretaries to step down since the Democratic president took office in January 2021.
Biden, set to delivers his State of the Union address to Congress later on Tuesday, relied on Walsh to negotiate labor talks that helped avert a railway shutdown in September.
Walsh will step down in the days following Biden's address, the Daily Faceoff, a hockey news website, reported on Tuesday citing sources. Walsh then be installed as executive director of the NHL labor union, the website reported.
The White House declined to comment. The NHL Players' Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Biden's chief of staff and some of his top economic advisers are also stepping down. Ron Klain, the chief of staff, will be succeeded by Jeff Zients, who handled the Biden administration's COVID-19 pandemic response.
Council of Economic Advisers chair Cecilia Rouse and National Economic Council director Brian Deese are expected to depart in the coming weeks. Biden is still weighing candidates for new top economic advisers.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose and Rami Ayyub; Editing by Will Dunham)
