Negotiating pay when I have been out of work after 7 years as a data-entry clerk

A recruiter asked for my salary expectations on a first call as I look for work as a data-entry clerk. I would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. I also do not want to sell myself short. Does giving a range hurt?

I gave a range based on local postings and said I was flexible depending on the whole package. They did not push back.

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.