This is not accurate. Getting fired versus laid-off are different; it's important to understand this. For one, if you're communicating with a professional and express that you were fired, they will make much different assumptions than if you were laid-off. Second, the distinction can affect your eligibility for employment insurance (or 'unemployment').
Fired - removed from your position "for cause" - can be performance, breaking company policy etc.
Laid off - company's business situation has changed and does not require your services anymore - no fault of yours.
I've literally never heard anyone make that distinction.
It's a pretty important distinction as it can decide whether you qualify for unemployment or not.
My impression is that there is a legal issue in calling something a layoff, in that the position has to have been eliminated.
I believe you don't qualify for unemployment insurance if you are fired, as opposed to laid off.
Yeah that's the basic difference, but I believe there's also something accounting-ish or tax-y about it, too.