In the US being fired means you had a job yesterday but involuntarily don't have one today. Most employment is at will, so the employer doesn't need a reason to

In the US being fired means you had a job yesterday but involuntarily don't have one today. Most employment is at will, so the employer doesn't need a reason to discontinue your employment. It could be performance or cost savings or some mix of both. It could also be no reason at all. The specifics don't really matter. They also don't need to provide any severance in most states, no matter the reason. The "oh you weren't fired, you were laid off" line is manufactured by HR and is meaningless. If you come in to work one day and your boss decides they don't like the color of your shirt and shows you the door, were you fired or "laid off"?