Negotiating pay when I have been out of work

A recruiter asked for my salary expectations on a first call as I look for work as a software tester. I have been trying to stay organised about it. I looked up ranges in Detroit and they vary a lot. 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.

Asking about the range for the role first worked for me. Some recruiters share it.