Negotiating pay when I have been out of work (update)

A recruiter asked for my salary expectations on a first call as I look for work as a welding apprentice. I looked up ranges in Kansas City and they vary a lot. How do you research fairly?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 4 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.

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