Negotiating pay when I have been out of work - 8 months and counting

A recruiter asked for my salary expectations on a first call as I look for work as a warehouse supervisor. I do not usually post, so bear with me. 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 8 months ago, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.