"SpongeBob, You're Fired" is a television special of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, serving as the eleventh episode of the ninth season and the 189th overall episode. It was written by Marc Ceccarelli, Luke Brookshier, and Mr. Lawrence, with supervising director Alan Smart and Tom Yasumi serving as animation directors. Originally premiering in Greece on July 3, 2013, it premiered on Nickelodeon in the United States that same year on November 11. In this episode, SpongeBob gets fired from the Krusty Krab after Mr. Krabs discovers he can save a nickel by letting him go. Subsequently, SpongeBob's attempts to apply at other restaurants end in humiliating failure.

The ninth season of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, created by animator and former marine biologist Stephen Hillenburg, originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States from July 21, 2012, to February 20, 2017, and contained 26 half-hour episodes. The series chronicles the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the fictional underwater city of Bikini Bottom. The season was executive produced by series creator Hillenburg and writer Paul Tibbitt, the latter of whom also acted as the showrunner for the first 11 episodes of the season. Starting with "Lost in Bikini Bottom", Marc Ceccarelli and Vincent Waller became the supervising producers and showrunners and served in that position for the rest of the season.