Maybe you're thinking my use of 'fired' in the archaic sense, but laid-off, made redundant, let-go, are equally the same terms when it's against the will of someone trying to keep a job.
The lowest bar I ever saw was a woman, but a new mother (baby was at home), get 'let go' after she came to me asking me how she could keep her job, because the managers were not giving her any work. I tried to give her some of my overflow, but was later scolded for doing so, and she was 'let go' that Friday. This is among many experiences I've had, including witnessing some nasty acts against my wife when she was 'let go'. The manager who fired my wife was at our wedding just a couple months before.
I brought this up to my manager ONCE, only by saying having children during this time is difficult, and thankfully was not fired.
I think our society is in trouble if we cannot support one another during ups and downs. Is this apathetic capitalism the standard in the US?