Negotiating pay when I have been out of work - 2 months and counting

A recruiter asked for my salary expectations on a first call as I look for work as a janitorial supervisor. I would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. 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.