In this paper we present the dispersion of collective bargaining agreements according to firm size and industries using the latest data of the IAB establishment panel. In 2013 about 52 % of the workforce in West and 35 % in East Germany were employed in firms that are bound to collective agreements. From the beginning of the data collection in 1996 up to the present day, coverage has been distinctly declining, although less pronounced in recent years. Closer attention is paid to those establishments that pay wages above the collectively agreed level. Looking at co-determination at the plant level, we find that coverage by works councils has hardly changed since 2012 with 43 % of the workforce in the private sector of West Germany and 35 % in East Germany. However, in the long run a distinct downward movement is also apparent here. Examining both levels of employee participation together, we mainly address the extensive gaps of co-determination on the shop-floor (“betriebliche Vertretungslücken”), as well as completely blank spots with no collective agreement.
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