The world’s largest economy sank at an annual rate of 4.8%, according to official figures released on Wednesday.
It marked the first contraction since 2014, ending a record expansion.
But the figures do not reflect the full crisis, since many of the restrictions were not put in place until March.
Policymakers at the America’s central bank, who met this week, said on Wednesday that the crisis had caused “tremendous human and economic hardship across the United States and around the world”.
“The ongoing public health crisis will weigh heavily on economic activity, employment and inflation in the near term and poses considerable risks to the economic outlook over the medium term,” the Federal Reserve said in a statement.
