By WMAY Newsroom Shutterstock A monthly survey of economic activity in Illinois shows the state is now experiencing true economic growth for the first time since the start of the pandemic. The University of Illinois’s Flash Index for the month of April jumped from 97.8 the previous month to a reading of 101.5, the largest increase in the history of the index. 100 is the dividing line between economic growth and decline. University economists say the state is showing real economic strength, even though it has not recovered to the levels seen before the pandemic struck in March of 2020. The Flash Index uses various metrics, including corporate earnings, personal income, and tax data to measure growth in the state.