Hot Topics: January Jobs, Boomer Headlines, Farah Fawcett's Swimsuit

Overall unemployment fell in January to 9 percent, but the nation didn't create new jobs as quickly as expected. The jobs picture was even gloomier for people over 45, who saw their jobless rate climb during the first month of 2011, to 7.6 percent from 7.2 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Government layoffs and snowstorms that stopped people from looking for work meant the country added only 36,000 jobs in January, well below forecasts.

January's unemployment rate for people over 45 was the highest it has been since August. Jobless rates for the country's oldest workers were slightly better: Unemployment for workers 55 and older dipped slightly, to 6.7 percent from 6.9 percent, and for workers over 65 stayed steady at 6.9 percent.

To help people in their job searches, the Department of Labor recently created an online career service called My Next Move that lets job seekers learn about careers, search careers by industry and take a test to determine what types of positions they might be best-suited for.

Finding Your Second Act. Here's a collection of some of the best sites for job seekers over 40.

Launching Your Green Job Search. One bright spot in the employment scene is the green jobs market. Sustainability is a key business trend in 2011 and provides huge promise for employment growth, says Glenn Croston, author of 75 Green Businesses and Starting Green. "As companies start feeling better about their future prospects, they will start hiring more in general, including green jobs," Croston says. "It seems like the fear that settled on the economy since 2008 is slowly thawing, getting more companies to think about the future.... And the future is sustainability." Keep reading here.

Boomers in the Spotlight. Mainstream media can't talk enough about the first wave of baby boomers turning 65 this month. One of the latest examples: the "Senior Moment" series being jointly produced by USA Today and CBS News. One recent front-page story in the newspaper discussed boomers' surging interest in second careers in public service. Other reports have covered everything from how boomers have redefined fitness to whether to stop coloring your hair (something SecondAct readers have weighed in on, as well).

Generation's "Defining Disease." A new report from the Alzheimer Association calls the condition the defining disease of the boomer generation, with one in eight, or 10 million people, expected to develop its memory-robbing symptoms. The group calls on the federal government to step up funding on research for a cure. "When the federal government has been focused, committed and willing to put the necessary resources to work to confront a disease that poses a real public health threat to the nation, there has been great success," Robert. J. Egge, the association's vice president of public policy, tells CNN. "In order to see the day where Alzheimer's is no longer a death sentence, we need to see that type of commitment with Alzheimer's."

Well-Off Boomers See Good Times Ahead. At least one group of boomers isn't worrying about retirement. The majority of high-worth boomers with more than $250,000 in investments believe they'll exceed their parents' post-retirement standard of living and lead more active lives, according to a new survey. But even the well-off aren't entirely without care. The survey, conducted by Braun Research for Bank of America's Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management group, found wealthy boomers' top financial concerns are the rising cost of health care (64 percent) and ensuring that retirement assets will last throughout their lifetimes (57 percent).

Happy 50th Birthday. Know someone turning 50? Maybe they'd like cufflinks made from authentic MLB game baseballs, the Dawn Redwood -- called the "baby boomer of trees" -- or Fifty Dresses that Changed the World, straight from London's Design Museum. That's a sampling of merchandise sold by 50 Wishes, an online gift shop that specializes in items that celebrate "golden" birthdays.

National Treasure. The swimsuit that launched Farah Fawcett's career and the poster of her wearing it that sold a record 12 million copies have new homes in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, MSNBC reports. The late actress' estate donated the swimsuit and other memorabilia in a formal ceremony this week on what would have been her 64th birthday.

Last Word. "At the rate of almost 10,000 a day, baby boomers are diving into old age with the enthusiasm of skinny dippers in a North Dakota winter. Believe me, we're not ready for the shock," Washington state freelance writer and television producer Lucy Luginbill writes in The Tri-City Herald.