Illinois’ economic bounce-back continues

Posted on June 3, 2021
The Flash index is a weighted average of consumer spending, personal income, and corporate earnings. (Photo courtesy: Dave Dahl/WJBC)

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – A monthly measure of Illinois’ economic activity is positive.

The Flash index from the University of Illinois is up almost four points, just over 105, on a scale on which 100 is the break-even between growth and contraction. Study author economics professor Fred Giertz credits federal funds for helping goose the economy – but natural growth in future years is far from assured.

“In a normal situation, if you see Illinois going into the crisis situation (from) a stable situation you could say, we will muddle through the crisis, then growth will  cure the ills that were already there,” Giertz says. “We went into a crisis with a crisis (going on) already, with the budget far out of balance.”

The Flash index is a weighted average of consumer spending, personal income, and corporate earnings.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]. 

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