US economy plunged 31.7% in second quarter

The US economy has plunged amid the coronavirus pandemic (Mark Lennihan/AP)

The US economy shrank at an alarming annual rate of 31.7% during the April-June quarter as it struggled under the weight of the pandemic.

The Commerce Department downgraded its earlier estimate of the US gross domestic product last quarter, finding the devastation was slightly less than the 32.9% annualised contraction it had estimated at the end of July.