Negotiating pay when I have been out of work - 5 weeks in

I have been out of work for 5 weeks and feel pressure to accept less. I would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. I do not want to price myself out. Does giving a range hurt?

Check several sources for pay in Milwaukee, then pick a range where the low end is one you can live with.

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 9 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.