Washington, DC CNN  — 

Consumer spending picked in August, reflecting continued resilience amid inflation.

Retail sales, which are adjusted for seasonal swings but not inflation, rose 0.6% in August, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. That’s a slightly faster pace than July’s revised 0.5% gain and well above economists’ expectation of a 0.2% increase.

Excluding sales at gasoline stations plus cars and vehicle parts, retail spending advanced a more modest 0.2% in August from July.

Despite 11 interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve intended to cool demand, the US economy remains on strong footing with American shoppers, boosted by a strong job market.

But after a summer of robust spending, US consumers are facing a number of economic challenges the rest of the year, including student loan payments restarting and tougher lending standards, which could curb spending.

This story is developing and will be updated.