WASHINGTON — U.S. home building plunged in April to the lowest level in five years, taken down by the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

The Commerce Department said Tuesday that groundbreakings plummeted 30.2% last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 891,000. That is the lowest level since February 2015. Construction of single-family dropped 25.4% to an annual rate of 650,000.

Housing starts dropped 43.6% in the Northeast, 14.9% in the Midwest, 26% in the South and 43.4% in the West.

Commerce reported a 8.1% drop in the completion of homes under construction, which means many are being left partially built.