TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "This was a jobs versus cuts speech, and Brown chose jobs."
In his speech at the Congress in Liverpool, the prime minister's warnings against early cuts in spending and the strong emphasis on creating and sustaining jobs - particularly for the young, went down well with delegates.
After months of refusing to use the word "cuts", Brown said Labour would be forced to make cuts in public spending to bolster the economy, but this would not be targeted on public services.
Barber added: "The prime minister understands that deep cuts would choke off what is still a precarious recovery and would threaten a deeper recession that could repeat the social divisions of the 1980s. The dividing lines for the next election became that bit clearer today.
"Unions are naturally concerned about the best way to tackle the deficit once we have real recovery. But again the prime minister made clear that there will be a real choice at the next election. His emphasis on growth to get tax income flowing again and support for measures to make the rich bear a fairer share of the tax burden chime not just with union concerns, but public opinion too."
