Layna Mosley

Argues that professional investors tend to sort sovereign borrowers into categories, based on geography, marker development or creditworthiness; and that these categorizations help to explain governments' cost of capital. Helps to explain contagion and diffusion of risk, in crises as well as in "normal" periods of market operation.

Investigates the effect of global supply chain relationships on firms' willingness to invest in labor-related upgrading. Focuses on firms based in Vietnam, and considers how these firms respond differently to varying foreign economic opportunities. 

Explores the relationship between multinational production and workers rights. Employs both statistical analyses, presenting new data on collective labor rights for a wide range of countries; and on qualitative analyses. Draws a distinction between the effects on workers of directly owned versus subcontracted production.

Investigates the use of labor-related conditions in trade agreements. Focuses on the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences program and evaluates the extent to which conditions are used to address labor issues, versus being employed as a means of veiled protectionism.

Investigates the implications of financial openness for government policymaking, via an exploration of sovereign debt. Uses interviews, archival evidence, and statistical analyses to assess the extent to which investors' attention to default risk and to government policies varies across countries and over time.