Are workers in less developed countries (LDCs) ’winners’ from globalization? In developed countries workers and politicians blame LDC workers for taking jobs from them. However, while some LDC workers express satisfaction with globalization, many do not. To understand such variation, we analyze the preferences of workers in LDCs regarding globalization by investigating foreign direct investment (FDI). Focusing on a prominent division within developing countries between formal and informal workers, we formulate competing hypotheses regarding support for FDI. In our survey of two Indian cities, we find that its small population of formal workers support foreign investment more than informal workers. They do so because they anticipate greater mobility prospects for their household; informal workers anticipate no present or future mobility gains. The empirical results are robust to alternative explanations including skill, caste and nativist preferences. Our findings provide new insights on how FDI is viewed in poor countries.