Abstract
<jats:p>The article examines issues related to the correspondence between the qualitative characteristics of the employed population and their jobs. The practice of hiring workers with inadequate qualifications leads to additional costs for both the enterprise and the workers themselves. When this situation becomes widespread, the resulting losses are also felt at the meso- and macrolevels. The aim of this work is to de-velop tools for assessing the consistency of the professional and qualification characteristics of the em-ployed population with the requirements of jobs. The object of the study is the labor market in the northern regions of Russia. The main source of information is the results of the Labor Force Survey conducted by Rosstat in 2022. The main occupational groups are assigned a corresponding level of qualification. Based on this, qualification asymmetry coefficients are calculated for each of the regions of northern Russia. The level of useful qualification asymmetry has been identified, expressed as a stock of competencies equal to one qualification level. In this case, more highly qualified workers ensure an increase in the level of equipment and efficiency of production processes, while workers with insufficient qualifications have the opportunity to improve their qualifications directly in the workplace. In this study, professional asymmetry is determined by respondents’ subjective assessment of the connection between their current job and their profession. The results presented can be used to monitor the situation in the labor market and education, which will allow for more effective use of the labor potential of the population.</jats:p>