Alex Coleman/Illinois Newsroom The Illinois economy has been in growth mode for two months in a row, according to the University of Illinois Flash Index. Any reading above 100 on the Flash Index means economic growth. The May reading was at 105.3. That’s up from April’s 101.5, and almost as high as the February 2020 reading of 105.7. (Find an archive of Flash Index readings here.) University of Illinois economist Fred Giertz prepares the Flash Index for the University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs. He says the jump in the May reading largely reflects the improvement in the state’s economy since May of last year, when the Flash Index hit a low point of 92.8. He says it doesn’t mean the Illinois economy has recovered to pre-pandemic levels.