Which action is unlikely to lower production costs per branded pair at a plant?

The choice that is unlikely to lower production costs per branded pair at a plant is an increase in the annual base wage. When wages increase, this directly raises the labor costs associated with production. Since labor is a critical component of the overall manufacturing costs, increasing wages typically leads to higher production costs rather than reducing them.

In contrast, factors such as decreasing employee turnover can lead to lower costs in the long run because it reduces training and recruitment expenses. Improvements in operational efficiency that arise from more experienced workers can also occur. Similarly, a reduction in utility costs would directly lower the overhead associated with production, which would benefit overall cost structures. An increase in raw material costs would logically raise production costs as well; therefore, these actions could plausibly contribute to lowering costs under specific circumstances, unlike an increase in wages which is generally a straightforward cost increase.