0805 GMT - Productivity growth is picking up in the U.K., Thomas Pugh at RSM UK says in a note. Productivity growth has been broad based, averaging around 1% in that last two years, compared with a fall of around 0.5% in the previous two. This remains below prepandemic trends, but reflects a clear change in the direction of travel, Pugh says. As yet there are few signs that artificial intelligence is driving growth, he adds. Growth is likely being driven by firms making better use of their workforces, which ballooned during the pandemic when the labor market was tight. But an additional boost from AI could be on the horizon, Pugh says. "The most exciting possibility is that the biggest gains may still lie ahead," he says.