Negotiating pay when I have been out of work - 14 weeks in

I have been out of work for 14 weeks and feel pressure to accept less. I am in Knoxville, in case local advice matters. I also do not want to sell myself short. How do you research fairly?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it last year, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.