Dynamically re-allocating tasks and/or memory quotas amongst work agents in symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) systems can significantly mitigate delays and inefficiencies associated with data skew. For example, unfinished tasks can be reallocated from a busy work agent to an idle work agent upon determining that the idle work agent has finished processing its originally assigned set of tasks. Alternatively, a portion of a memory quota assigned to an idle work agent can be reallocated to a busy work agent for use in processing the remaining tasks. Memory quotas can be re-assigned by releasing the memory quota back into a memory pool once the idle work agent has finished processing its originally assigned tasks, and then reallocating some or all of the memory quota to the busy work agent.