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Note that these are layoffs not firings. The fault is with the employer, not the employee, and exit packages generally reflect this.

It largely doesn’t matter to most people. It’s a gap.

When an employer has a choice, they almost always take the gapless candidate.

A semantic difference only. They were "made redundant", "let go", "laid off", "fired", "terminated", and any other set of convenient choices.

Not so. Being included in a RIF (reduction in force) is legally different than getting fired. Ask anyone who knows anything about corporate HR.

I'm not finding any legal difference in the US. What difference do you know of?

If you're fired with cause, no severance, else, severance. It is quite common knowledge.

This may be convention, but it is not law. No federal or state law requires severance pay in the US.

I didn't say it was law.

Unemployment insurance.

The first 3 give severance, the last two do not.

There is an enormous difference.