NEW YORK (AP) — Shoppers increased their spending at a better-than-expected pace in August from July, helped by back-to-school shopping, even as President Donald Trump’s tariffs are starting to hurt the job market and lead to price increases. Retail sales rose 0.6% last month from July, when sales were up a revised 0.6%, according to the Commerce Department’s report. In June, retail sales rose 0.9%, the government agency said. The August performance, announced Tuesday, was also likely helped by the continued efforts by Americans to keep pushing up purchases ahead of expected price increases. The retail sales increases followed two straight months of spending declines in April and May.
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