Auto makers are laying off employees at the fastest pace since the financial crisis, according to outplacement services company Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., as the industry struggles with evolving consumer demand and new technology-based competition. The industry has announced 19,802 in workforce reductions this year through April. That’s more than triple — up 207% — than the 6,451 jobs cuts announced during the same time last year, and the most for the first four months of a year since 101,036 cuts were announced through April of 2009, according to data provided by Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Both Chrysler ... (full story)