US jobless benefits claims swing low at April's end

New claims for jobless benefits sank at the end of April, and the total number of people receiving unemployment benefits hit a 17-year low, the US Labor Department reported Thursday.The figures were more evidence of the persistently tight job market and came a day before the department is due to release its monthly employment report.In the week ending April 29, initial claims for unemployment insurance fell 19,000 to 238,000.