> Being fired with cause impacts their ability to collect unemployment, which most these people deserve.

afaik, performance doesn't impact your benefits in the US, unless it's tied to 'willful misconduct'. if you're (for example) simply incompetent, but honest and good-intentioned, it's entirely the employer's fault for improperly filling the position per their own requirements.

In the U.S is it legal for companies to disclose how former employees were let go (laid off vs. fired). I imagine they just give dates. Otherwise how would fired employees ever gain future employment in competitive fields.

Is it legal? Yes.

Do companies do it? Usually not.

The “with cause” implies they have sufficient reason to deny unemployment iirc. Or that they merely think they do.